Ben Rafiqi

Stranger in a strange land and devoted curmudgeon

[Insurrection Barbie @DefiyantlyFree]

Scripture was written so you could know God. Not know about Him. Know Him. The way you know a person, by watching what they do when it matters most.

The way you know God is not through His name. It is through His character.

When Moses stood at the burning bush and asked God for His name, God gave him one that was not really a name at all. “I AM WHO I AM.” Exodus 3:14. That is a declaration of character. I am self-existent. I am unchanging. I am not defined by what you call me. I am defined by what I am.

Moses asks God to “Show me your glory.” Exodus 33:18.

God does not show him a vision. He does not show him heaven. He says, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you.” And then He does. “The LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” Exodus 34:6-7.

When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God showed him His character. His compassion. His patience. His forgiveness. And His justice.

That changes how you read everything else. Every story in the Bible is God showing you who He is through what He does.

When He made a covenant with Abraham, He put Abraham to sleep and walked through the pieces alone. Genesis 15. He bound the promise to Himself because He knew Abraham could not keep it.

When Israel was enslaved for four hundred years, God did not forget. The first thing He said to Moses at the bush was “I have seen the suffering of my people. I have heard them crying out. I have come down to rescue them.” Exodus 3:7-8.

When Jonah ran, God did not find another prophet. He pursued him. The character of God does not give up on the people He sends.

And then Christ came and the character of God was made visible in human flesh. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9.

And what did they see? They saw a man who touched lepers when the world crossed the street. They saw a man who stopped for children when His disciples waved them away. They saw a man who sat with a Samaritan woman and talked to her like a human being when His culture said she was beneath Him.

They saw a man who wept at a friend’s grave because love made death feel like a personal offense.

They saw a man who made a whip and drove corruption from His Father’s house because He was not confused about what was worth fighting for.

They saw a man who on the worst night of His life washed the feet of the man He knew would betray Him.

And on the cross, rejected by His people, sold by His disciple, abandoned by His friends, mocked by the leaders who should have recognized Him, He said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.”

That is the character of God. A person in the worst moment imaginable choosing forgiveness over vengeance, choosing love over power, choosing to stay when saving Himself would have meant losing you.

The thief on the cross had no theology. He had no church membership. He had no track record. He said “remember me.” Christ said “today you will be with me in paradise.”

The character of God does not require you to earn what He gives. He gives it because of who He is, not because of who you are.

That is what the Bible is for. It exists so you can see, on every page, the character of a God who does not change, does not lie, does not break His promises, and does not walk away from the people He loves no matter how many times they walk away from Him.

And when that character gets inside you and changes how you see everything, you shine His glory. Not by performing. Not by winning. Not by being right. By being transformed until His character becomes visible in your life the way light becomes visible when it’s dark outside.

[Steven Bartlett @StevenBartlett]

What if everyone is actually destined for hell?

When Christian Apologist Wesley Huff joined me on The Diary Of A CEO, he explained a central idea in Christianity that many people misunderstand.

According to scripture, the standard for being “good” isn’t simply being better than other people. The standard is God himself.

Which means, by definition, no human being meets it.

That’s what Christianity calls the bad news. Humanity can’t save itself through good actions or intentions.

Here's him breaking it down

[Mr PitBull Stories @MrPitbull07]

"My name's Leonard. I'm 74. I answer phones at Murphy's Plumbing. Been here six years, ever since my knees gave out and I couldn't crawl under sinks anymore. Now I just sit at this desk, take calls, dispatch the younger guys. Most people are angry when they call. Burst pipes, backed-up toilets, water everywhere. I get yelled at a lot.

But sometimes, I hear something else in their voice.
Like the woman who called at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday. "My kitchen sink's leaking," she said, voice shaking. "How much for an emergency visit?"
"$250 minimum, ma'am. Plus parts."
Silence. Then crying. "I can't. I'm sorry. I'll just… put a bucket under it."

Something in her voice reminded me of my daughter during her divorce. That same defeated exhaustion. "Ma'am, how bad's the leak?"
"It's... I don't know. A lot? It's dripping fast."
"Could you text me a photo?" I gave her my personal cell. Against policy, but whatever.

The photo came through. Loose coupling under the trap. Five-minute fix if you know what you're doing. I talked her through it. Step by step. Where to find the wrench, which way to turn it, how to check if it's tight.
Twenty minutes later: "It stopped! Oh my God, it stopped!"
"You did good," I said.
"How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing. You fixed it yourself."
She cried harder. "I'm a single mom. Three jobs. I've been trying to fix everything alone for so long. Thank you for not making me feel stupid."

After that, I started doing it more. When someone called panicking about a small problem, I'd walk them through it instead of sending a truck. Running toilet? Adjust the chain. Clogged drain? Try baking soda and vinegar first. Not everything needs a plumber.
My boss noticed. "Lenny, you're costing us jobs."
"I'm saving people money they don't have," I said. "The big jobs still come. But the single moms, the elderly folks on fixed incomes, they don't need to go broke over a loose washer."
He grumbled. But didn't fire me.

Here's what changed everything. A man called last month. "You walked my wife through fixing our sink two years ago. I'm a lawyer now, used to be unemployed. That night, we had $30 to our name. You saved us. I want to pay for someone else's emergency repair. Who needs it?"
I had a list. Always do.

Now? People call asking to sponsor repairs. "Pay it forward," they say. We've fixed problems for 60 families this year. No charge. Because someone else remembered what being broke felt like.

I'm 74. I answer phones most people curse into. But I learned something. People don't always need an expert. Sometimes they just need someone who believes they can figure it out themselves. Who doesn't make them feel small for not knowing.
So teach instead of charging. Explain instead of dismissing. That panicked person on the phone? They're not stupid. They're just scared. And a little patience costs nothing.
Sometimes the best fix isn't the wrench. It's the voice on the other end saying, "You've got this. I'll walk you through it."
.
Let this story reach more hearts....
.
Credit: Grace Jenkins

[Mr PitBull Stories @MrPitbull07]

"My name's Raymond. I'm 73. I work the parking lot at St. Joseph's Hospital. Minimum wage, orange vest, a whistle I barely use. Most people don't even look at me. I'm just the old man waving cars into spaces.
But I see everything.

Like the black sedan that circled the lot every morning at 6 a.m. for three weeks. Young man driving, grandmother in the passenger seat. Chemotherapy, I figured. He'd drop her at the entrance, then spend 20 minutes hunting for parking, missing her appointments.

One morning, I stopped him. "What time tomorrow?"
"6:15," he said, confused.
"Space A-7 will be empty. I'll save it."
He blinked. "You... you can do that?"
"I can now," I said.

Next morning, I stood in A-7, holding my ground as cars circled angrily. When his sedan pulled up, I moved. He rolled down his window, speechless. "Why?"
"Because she needs you in there with her," I said. "Not out here stressing."
He cried. Right there in the parking lot.

Word spread quietly. A father with a sick baby asked if I could help. A woman visiting her dying husband. I started arriving at 5 a.m., notebook in hand, tracking who needed what. Saved spots became sacred. People stopped honking. They waited. Because they knew someone else was fighting something bigger than traffic.
But here's what changed everything, A businessman in a Mercedes screamed at me one morning. "I'm not sick! I need that spot for a meeting!"

"Then walk," I said calmly. "That space is for someone whose hands are shaking too hard to grip a steering wheel."

He sped off, furious. But a woman behind him got out of her car and hugged me. "My son has leukemia," she sobbed. "Thank you for seeing us."

The hospital tried to stop me. "Liability issues," they said. But then families started writing letters. Dozens. "Raymond made the worst days bearable." "He gave us one less thing to break over."

Last month, they made it official. "Reserved Parking for Families in Crisis." Ten spots, marked with blue signs. And they asked me to manage it.

But the best part? A man I'd helped two years ago, his mother survived, came back. He's a carpenter. Built a small wooden box, mounted it by the reserved spaces. Inside? Prayer cards, tissues, breath mints, and a note,

"Take what you need. You're not alone. -Raymond & Friends"
People leave things now. Granola bars. Phone chargers. Yesterday, someone left a hand-knitted blanket.
I'm 73. I direct traffic in a hospital parking lot. But I've learned this: Healing doesn't just happen in operating rooms. Sometimes it starts in a parking space. When someone says, "I see your crisis. Let me carry this one small piece."

So pay attention. At the grocery checkout, the coffee line, wherever you are. Someone's drowning in the little things while fighting the big ones.

Hold a door. Save a spot. Carry the weight no one else sees.
It's not glamorous. But it's everything."

Let this story reach more hearts....

Credit: Mary Nelson

[LoveBrumUK @LoveBrumUK]

A big thank you to @hollywoodmonster our brilliant Patron, for your continued support. You're helping us shine a light on Birmingham’s Hidden Heroes! 💛

#Patron #ThankYou #LoveBrum #HiddenHeroes #BirminghamSupport #CommunityPartners

[LoveBrumUK @LoveBrumUK]

Real change starts with real people like Christy.
Support more stories like his.
🔗 https://t.co/adP1dZKWBn

#LoveBrum #HiddenHeroes #EndHomelessness #ChangeMakers

[Ben Rafiqi @ben_the_pen]

https://t.co/FDldgslinL

Free hearts Free minds.

[Riscie L @The_Hip_Review]

@VisionaryVoid @fasc1nate Here is the full story and video of the incident and rescue.
https://t.co/sKq2e8BmUT

[Fascinating @fasc1nate]

In 1981, Dr. Michael Shannon worked tirelessly through the night to successfully rescue a premature baby boy.

30 years later, in 2011, Dr. Shannon was trapped in his burning SUV following a collision with a semi-truck.

Miraculously, he was rescued from the blazing vehicle by Chris Trokey, a paramedic with the Orange County Fire Authority.

Remarkably, it was revealed that Chris Trokey was the same premature baby Dr. Shannon had delivered three decades earlier.

[LoveBrumUK @LoveBrumUK]

Our 1st featured case for #PeopleinCrisis is @standingtallorg - read on to find out how £2000 funding will help them match people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham into stable jobs and safe homes, helping them to move away from the streets for good.
https://t.co/1b9WtSJZUo

[Tabor Living Birmingham @TaborLiving]

Thankyou to Morrisons at Edgbaston for their Easter Egg Donation. Thankyou Kathleen for organising the Easter eggs and your continued support from Morrisons

[Let's Feed Brum @letsfeedbrum]

We had a wonderful evening at the @Itihaasindian Comedy Night last week! 🍽🍷❤️

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us and helped us to raise over £2,000! 💸 And a special thanks to @Barclays who matched the donations made on the evening. 👏

[Let's Feed Brum @letsfeedbrum]

We’re looking for hot food partners who can help provide food for our evening walk about teams. 🍽❤️

If you run a cafe, restaurant, or other hospitality business that’s able to commit to providing 35 portions of hot food (once a week or month), please email [email protected]

[Ben Rafiqi @ben_the_pen]

@MediaDonnelly Hello, I think I’ve messaged you with my email address 😊

[Tara Attfield-Tomes @taratomes]

Super proud to be supporting @OllyAttfield today at #SBSEvent2022 after @UKNewsGroup was named one of @TheoPaphitis’ Small Business Sunday winners 🏆 What an event - so many awesome people in the room! What a way to celebrate and shout about the power of small businesses 🙌🏽

[Gareth Carrol @garethcarrol]

Hi @theAliceRoberts, any chance of doing a fellow UoB academic a favour and retweeting the info below about my new book?

[Modern Idioms @Modern_Idioms]

2 days to go! You can get your hands on our Modern Idioms book this coming Friday, Feb 25th! Huge thanks to anyone who has already pre-ordered, and if you are thinking of doing so, you can find out more here:

https://t.co/i6HfITVUnn

[Ben Rafiqi @ben_the_pen]

Comfortably curled up

[Let's Feed Brum @letsfeedbrum]

Yesterday our breakfast club was sponsored by the wonderful team at @RidgeLLP. ❤️

The team donated to LFB in order to help with operational costs, and also helped our volunteers in serve up a tasty breakfast at the @bhamcathedral ☕️

[Let's Feed Brum @letsfeedbrum]

❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️

Our wonderful Monday volunteer team have been spreading the love tonight with lots of chocolates and sweets. 🍫🍬