She came for the food

She came for the food. She came because she was hungry. Life in the barracks offered a lot more flexibility than boot camp, but the food still left a lot to be desired and the Bible study at the chapel offered a home-cooked meal. All Cynthia had to do was show up.

She also came because her friend, Andrea, begged her to come. They had gone through boot camp together and now they’d been sent to the same A school. They still had each other’s backs. Now, Andrea knew Jesus. As a matter of fact, she talked about Jesus all the time. He had changed her life and she shared it with whomever asked.

They came back because the people at the Bible study were kind to them. Even though Cynthia was 18 and no one else was under 50, the women at the chapel were excited to see her every time she showed up. They asked questions and shared their experiences and they prayed for her. She was invited to their homes. They shared more meals together and they showed her more of Jesus.

But the food–she came back for the food. They even gave her the left-overs to take back to the barracks.

Eventually, she came because she wanted to know more about Jesus. And then came the day when she understood exactly how much He loved her — enough to die for her. The truth of what Jesus had done was explained to her and she asked Jesus into her heart. She sent me this text that day, “I’m a Christian, Jan… I’m a Christian.” She left Pensacola the next day; I drove her to the airport.

But we’ve stayed in touch. At her new duty station, Cynthia has found friends who believe in Jesus and a church that is leading her into a deeper faith. She is concerned about the people around her and the fact that they are lost.

The other day she texted me and she wrote, “He is the only one that will ever be able to give me – or anyone else – that everlasting love, comfort and security that we’re always looking for … And it’s just all these people He has put in my path have slowly been showing me and leading me to Him.”

She thought she came for the food but she found the Bread of Life.

By Jan Hamme, Cru Military Staff