I know this blog is a little long, but bare with me – the story you’re about to read is one that is worth the time.

This past week myself and the team from LIVE Design Group traveled to Baton Rouge for the All Access 2010 conference for ARC church planters.  The event was hosted by Dino Rizzo and the uh-maze-ing servants from Healing Place Church in combination with the world’s greatest interns from around the country.

The previous week, while in Orlando, I said to Dino – “Hey man, are you gonna have the weather this good for us next week?”  He responded – “Can’t promise you that, but I promise we’re gonna fill ya belly!”

Maybe it was the travel, maybe it was the sun, and maybe it was a Divine set up – ??? – but I found myself hungry and approached a table to ask if I could grab a bag of chips, even though they were intended for the night’s after party.  I happened to recap my conversation with Dino the previous week and then said something like – “I think I’m the only guy losing weight here this week.”

I sincerely meant nothing bad by that statement, but what started to happen next made me realize, in the simplest way, that this Servolution ‘thing’ is Fact not Fiction.  I went on to another part of the church campus completely different from where I had engaged this conversation; it was about 20 minutes later that a girl approached me with a “Healing Place bag” and she said in the happiest cheerleader-camp voice you’ve ever heard – “Here ya go!!!”

Taken back and slightly weirded out for a moment – I said “What’s this?”  She said, “The lady outside said you’ve not been eating enough and this is a bag full of food to get you through to dinner tonight.” Even as I write this, I’m drawn to tears because I can still feel the heart that was behind that simple act of service.  – I thanked her, reached into the bag and started with a tasty bear-claw and a water….

Now it starts to just get funny – - – at least 5 more times over the next two days, people would ‘randomly’ show up and offer me food – each making some comment like, “Hey there, we heard you’ve not been eating enough this week.” And then they would give me a chicken biscuit, pasta salad, chicken wrap, pizza, etc…  Are you ‘for cereal’ (aka serious)?!?!  These guys are insane – insanely wonderful that is……I’m here to tell you that Servolution is Fact and not fiction.

I love that when I shared this story with Dino before I left last week, he did not have a look on his face that said “of course they did” – even though I know he was thinking it.  The look on his face is what reminded me of the absolute sincere place that this all came from – the look on his face as he half-smiled and shook his head was one of “they still amaze me too”.

Thank you Pastor Dino & Healing Place Church; thank you ARC team; thank you amazing Interns; and thank you God for giving us the strength for a Servolution.