Photo Credit- Mae Mu On Unsplash
Allie had a little bounce in her step as her 17-year-old younger brother escorted her to the courthouse. She was excited. This would be her first time serving on a jury. She glanced around the courtyard. Many homeless people wondered around pulling their belongings along with them in shopping carts and strollers. They all looked depressed and as if they no longer had the will to live. She started to wonder if there was anything she could do to cheer them up and share Jesus’ love with them.
“What time is it, Frank?” She asked her brother.
He glanced down at his smartphone, then replied, “One thirty.”
Allie wasn’t supposed to be at the courthouse until two fifteen.
“Let’s go to that little bakery down the street.” She suggested.
Frank pushed back his sandy blonde hair, “We just ate lunch, why would you want to go there?”
Allie had already turned around and was no longer walking towards the courthouse but the bakery. “I have an idea.”
Frank sighed but followed his sister.
There was graffiti on the outside of the bakery and a broken window that was covered in cardboard.
Frank wondered for a moment why Allie had stopped right in front of the door. When she looked at him and flashed a smile he finally realized she was waiting for him to open the door. He pulled it open and let her walk through first.
“Thanks!” Allie said.
On the inside, there were a few small round tables with an assortment of different people sitting at them. Frank glanced down at the tile flooring. It was badly in need of repairing. Allie walked straight up to the counter. A girl with streaks of blue in her hair, many piercings and a big tattoo on her arm was at the cash register.
Frank thought that she looked like a rebellious teenager.
Allie knew she must be a girl who had dealt with many hard things in her young life and was probably hurt.
Her nametag said CJ.
“Hello, how are you today,” CJ said without making eye contact with Allie or Frank.
“I’m feeling quite wonderful today, thank you! How are you?” Allie replied.
CJ looked up. She seemed shocked by the cheerful reply but she simply shrugged in reply to Allie’s question.
Frank slipped his hands into his pockets. Sometimes Allie was just too friendly and cheerful in his opinion.
“What can I get you today?” CJ asked.
Allie glanced at the assortment of baked goods in the glass display to the left of the cash register. “Could I get 2 dozen cinnamon rolls?”
Frank looked at Allie. “Two dozen? What are you going to do with those?”
Allie patted his arm and smiled. “You’ll see.”
“That’ll be twenty-five dollars,” CJ said, as she began placing two dozen cinnamon rolls in a box.
Allie pulled two twenties out of her little purse she was carrying, “Keep the change.”
CJ mechanically took the money but glanced up when she realized how big of a tip that was. “Are you sure?” Allie nodded. “Thank you!” CJ handed the box of cinnamon rolls to Allie.
“Have a delightful rest of your day, CJ!” Allie called. She and Frank were out the door before the cashier had a chance to respond.
“What’s the deal with spending all your money at a bakery? I thought you were gonna use that to go buy a dress later?” Frank asked.
“I think God had a better plan for that money than I did,” Allie replied.
“God wanted you to buy cinnamon rolls?” Frank asked. “I mean, I definitely prefer cinnamon rolls to dresses, but really? Cinnamon rolls were God’s plan for your money?”
Allie laughed then said, “We’re going to give them to the people in this park.”
Frank stopped and grabbed onto Allie’s arm and then turned her so she was facing him. “We’re going to hand out food to strangers?” He lowered his voice, “These people could be drug addicts or alcoholics, thieves or even murderers.”
“Frank, they are people who are made in God’s image. I know God cares for and loves them. So do I.”
“But isn’t that kind of dangerous?” Frank asked.
“Yes, maybe. But I’ve got you, my tall, strong baby brother to guard me. Is your guitar still in the car?”A little bit later, near the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, Frank was reluctantly playing his guitar while Allie sang a song,
“There’s a peace I’ve come to know, though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul, I can say it is well.
Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won, He has risen from the dead.”
Soon there was a group of people around them listening to Allie’s lovely soprano voice and trying to understand the lyrics to the song. When Allie finished singing she opened the box of cinnamon rolls and offered them to several of the people around them.
A girl near Allie’s age, about twenty, came up to Allie with tears in her eyes. She had hair that didn’t look like it had been washed in months and she was carrying a dirty baby on her hip, “What were you singing about?” she asked.
Allie sat down on the edge of the fountain and motioned for the girl to sit next to her. The girl did. Allie told her about how God sent his son Jesus down to earth to die on the cross for everyone’s sins. She also told her about how Jesus had risen from the grave and how those who accepted him would one day join him in heaven. Allie pulled her little Bible that she had gotten for her twelfth birthday out of her purse and handed it to the girl. The girl accepted it gratefully.
When Allie turned back around to where Frank was, she saw that he was letting a little boy with black curly hair play his guitar. The boy smiled up at Frank then handed the guitar back to him. Frank began strumming on it and started to sing,
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Allie handed the boy a cinnamon roll even though she could tell from his face that he had already had one. By the time Allie and Frank walked into the courthouse, they both felt that God had used them to impact people’s lives.

Eliza is a positive fiction writer, a blogger, homeschool graduate and big sister. She is passionate about living and reflecting the life of Jesus through her writing. Eliza shares most of her writings on her personal blog - elizanoelauthor.blogspot.com Get a free book giveaway