A Place in God For God

We can seek to be in a place in God in which we are hearing and heeding His direction, secure in His love and peace, and joyful in obedience. Jesus said in John 10:
(25b) The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Elise Stevens has escaped from an abusive relationship, and the Lord has brought her into a place in Him where He can use her for His glory - through establishing a physical place.  She wrote at The Christian Heart website:

In 2008, I was kidnapped and held hostage for five months. I was pregnant and scared. From the beginning, my ex had an ulterior motive to have a child with me. He took advantage of me, and the family said to marry him so as not to embarrass them.

When I tried to leave, he stabbed me in the abdomen. I managed to escape when my daughter was three months old, but he followed us and nearly beat me to death. Because he was well-known in the community, there were little consequences for him.

Certainly she was scared, so she asked a man she describes as her "best friend" to be her bodyguard - not totally serious, but he accepted.  She says that they "fell in love," and they were married six weeks later. 

But, he did the cooking - being in the kitchen brought back bad memories, since that is where she was attacked, she said. But, one day, she got her nerve up and expressed to him that she wanted to make sourdough bread. The led to cooking for their Bible study; she relates, "I learned I genuinely loved to feed people."

That led to the next step.  There's a website that states:

In April of 2024 Meemaw (Elise Stevens) told her husband “God is leading me to open a restaurant”.

With only $20 in their bank account the two proceeded to pursue opening a restaurant relinquishing all control to God. With the help and support of the community the doors to Meemaws Hometown Kitchen were opened just 30 days later.

That's from the website of Elise's restaurant, which is located in Union, Oregon.  

In the Christian Heart article, Elise says that after that bold step to start the process of opening a restaurant, "we were handed a check for the seed money to start our restaurant. I had only met this person one time, and we didn’t even know each other’s names. She sat me down and said, 'God told me to write that check.'”  And, within weeks of opening, there was another bold step that Elise and her husband, Bigred, took:

During our first five weeks, we were just a regular restaurant. But then I felt the Lord laying it on my heart to have it be a “pay as you can” restaurant. In our sixth week, we had almost no customers, so I asked my husband if he was ready to trust God and he said yes.

The Meemaws website notes: 

Meemaw and Bigred have been using social media for three years to spread their story and help others see that through God there is life after abuse. They earned a small income through one app but the Lord led them to expand to more apps and spread the love of Jesus through Meemaws.

They have quickly grown on social media and are truly doing the work of God. Meemaws feeds anyone and everyone no matter how much money they have in their pocket. They love like Jesus and just wants [sic] to feed everyone.

Elise also has speaking ministry, and the page on the website, "Elise Speaks," says:

At Meemaws Hometown Kitchen, we believe that every meal is a chance to share love, hope, and community. Founded by Elise Stevens in April 2024, our pay-what-you-can restaurant in Union, Oregon, is not just a place to eat; it’s a sanctuary where everyone is welcomed, regardless of their circumstances.

It goes on to say: 

Elise is passionate about sharing her testimony of faith, resilience, and community support. Through speaking engagements, she aims to inspire others with the message that there is life after hardship. Her story illustrates how faith can guide us in unexpected ways, reminding us of the power of love and generosity.

God has led Elise out of abuse into a secure place in Him.  She and her husband have been vocal about God's faithfulness and His hand out of that terrified place of abuse.  They have a new place now - a business that was established out of a place of dependence on God.  And, they took the bold step, a step of wisdom, to offer their food to their customers on a "pay as you can" basis.  That certainly reflects a measure of faith, but they are continuing to trust. 

You might say that Elise has found her place in God and He has given her a place - a restaurant that she can operate for Him, according to His direction. At The Christian Heart, she writes:

Our motto is, “If you don’t know what to pay, we suggest that you pray.”

This can be inspiring for all of us - because it's important to seek to be in the center of God's will, to find our place in His Kingdom and to be reliant on the Savior who has called us there.  Once we're in that place, we need to continue to be obedient as He leads by His Spirit. God will direct us by His Word and His Spirit; but we have to pray, listen, and follow.