Desperation Sunday....

Psalm 46:1-11  God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.  And so we need not fear even if the world blows up, and the mountains crumble into the sea.  Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!  There is a river of joy flowing through the City of our God- the sacred home of the God above all gods.  God himself is living in that City; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere.  He will not delay his help.  The nations rant and rave in anger- but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin. 

          Today on North 1^st St we called it Desperation Sunday because it is the last Sunday in the month and yes… they were desperate.  The line snaked out towards the sidewalk as we organized the food line in anticipation for some hungry folks.  People continued to find their way across the street or down the road towards the smell of piping hot stew.  People were patient in line and didn’t appear overly desperate, however there was an overall feeling of agitation and neediness.  People seemed to be in “survivor mode” today. 

          I love how the bible states that even if the world blows up, and the mountains crumble into the sea…God is our refuge and strength.  Before serving, Keith called everyone to prayer.  He spoke of the refuge in Christ and how He is available to anyone who is interested in receiving them into their hearts…. Nobody answered the invitation that we were aware of, but we sure could sense the presence of the need for God’s refuge and strength as well as his joy! 

          At the end of each North 1^st St. adventure, Keith, Olivia, Kacey, and I usually stand around in the kitchen and swap stories of the day because we have all seen and experienced North  1^st from a different angle… we spoke to different people, and s       aw different things.  It is one of my favorite parts of the day because I love hearing everybody’s adventures.  The overwhelming agreement today was that a lot of people were a bit mean today…. Mean, desperate, hungry??? If someone set their bag of clothes down, it was likely to be stolen today compared to other days.   Why?  I don’t know… but it was happening.  We brought some extra food for a family and after Keith gave the food to the guy, he said, “Is that it?”  Are you kidding??? “Is that it?”  My flesh was insulted and put off…. Did he have any idea how much time it took me to make the food that we gave him???  but I think it was just a  response of desperation… He might have been thinking- is that it because I have a big family to feed…. Who knows.  There were people who wanted to take clothes from others… to get what we were handing out to someone else… to grab and possess. 

          Not everyone fit this M.O. however, there were a lot of older men who seemed to genuinely appreciate the food and clothes.  One man in particular said that the stew tasted just like how his mother and grandmother used to make it.  I was so glad that he could receive that comfort today.  It made me smile.  Another little girl made Keith’s day complete… She was so happy because her mom found her some pants, shoes, socks, shirts, and a jacket that fit…. She could be just like all of the other kids her age.  The part that grabbed my heart that she was a 3^rd generation homeless child.  Her mom and grandmother were there and were also homeless… 3 generations living without a place to call home, without a bed to call their own.  Lord God,  even when the mountains crumble into the sea and the world explodes…. You are our strength and our refuge… Your joy is a river flowing through the city-  Thank You Jesus!!!  You Lord can break the cycle… You are their hope!!!

          Glenn was in a downward spiral today.  He always shares with us that he is a paranoid schizophrenic… Glenn has been very open about needing help, but today in particular Glen was manic, Glenn’s world was crashing.  A shadow of stubble covered his cheeks and chin.  He appeared disheveled, agitated, and desperate.  He wanted time to talk out his frustrations.  Because he had missed 2 weeks of medication, he wasn’t thinking or processing clearly.  Glen’s thoughts seemed to weave in and out of each other- never actually ending, just hooking onto a new worry or frustration.  The problem is that the medicine helps him to think clearly, but if he doesn’t take it then he becomes irrational, and when he is irrational he thinks that he can’t afford the medication- which he totally can, but he is too engulfed in worry and fear to spend the money on the prescription.  Henceforth… the cycle continues to spiral….. down….. Lord Jesus I pray that Glen will be able to grab onto Your place of refuge and that he will find strength in You!!!

          Last week Keith promised an elderly Hispanic gentleman that he would find a Spanish bible for him.  So today we remembered at the last minute that we needed to find a Spanish bible.  I went up to Inklings Bookstore and sure enough… there was a Spanish bible (Thank You Lord!)  and it only cost $4.95.  WOW!  Now that is a great deal…. So I asked for 5.  Lol!   Fast forward to North 1^st street and sure enough Keith found more people that wanted a Spanish bible.  One man in particular warmed my heart so much.  Keith asked him if he needed a Spanish bible and he replied, “No thank you, but he needs one,” pointing to his friend standing next to him.  Keith look to the man next to him and asked him if he wanted a Spanish bible…. “Oh yes, I need the bible because I read to him.”  The gentleman pointed over to his friend who had just said no to the bible.  The first man couldn’t read, but he knew his friend needed the bible so he could read it to him.  What a wonderful friend to have.  Dear Lord… thank you so much for standing unmoved amongst all of the turmoil.  Thank you Lord for your strength and your refuge…. When You speak… I pray that we all listen!!

          We never know week by week what it will be like on North 1^st St. but what we do know is that God stands unmoved, that His promises never change, that God never leaves us nor forsakes us, and that God is now and will forever be our refuge and our strength.  Lord I am humbled and so thankful that we get to serve you.  Thank You for turning our fishes to loaves and for taking a desperation Sunday and turning it into "enough" because Your "enough"  is always "enough"!  Amen! :0)

         

I’m Believing….

Today was a day of “I’m Believing…”  What it means is that it just seems to be the statement that Keith and I said all day today.  “Trust Me and try Me sayeth the Lord!”  Well today we did… but not really a planned test…. A lot of situations came up where we weren’t sure how it was going to happen… but in our hearts we were thinking.. “I’m Believing that…”.  

·         From the beginning I stood on… I’m believing that the meat that was donated this week will be enough to make the hamburger stroganoff that I am making…. (it was J)

·         The people lined up out to the side walk and my prayer was…”I am believing in Fish and Loaves…there will be enough!!” We had two large roasting pans full of stroganoff and my prayer was that everybody standing in line would get a plateful of hot food.  We always have late comers and we had a cooler of sandwiches made for them, but I really didn’t want tell anyone who had waited in line and who had made it on time that the food was gone… God is so amazing because even though Tracy and I dished up large portions in faith… God made the last scoop land on the plate of the last person in line… I darn near cried in thanks!

·         Keith made a cooler full of ham sandwiches for the people who show up late and sure enough… the whole cooler of sandwiches went… And after the cooler of ham sandwiches came the loaves of bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches….Thank you Lord that we were able to send each person away with enough food! We stood in the statement…”I am believing that we will have enough food for everyone even with generous portions!”

·         At the end of the day, a man handed me a pair of shoes that someone had left out by the sidewalk.  All of the people were gone and no one had claimed on so I stood holding them while talking to another gentleman.  Suddenly a guy came racing up on his bicycle.  He threw the bike down and held up his foot to show me the bottom of his shoe-  “You got any shoes?? Look at mine.”  His black tennis shoes had three holes in the sole with his foot pushing through to the ground.  Inside I was thinking, “I am believing that God will make these fit…”  He took one look at them and was as happy as can be.  He sat down right there and put them on.  Honestly, he was one of the dirtiest guys I have ever seen.  His face, hands, arms, every bit of skin that you could see was coated with thick black dirt.  His hair was matted and crazy at the same time.  Olivia was in the car because we were going to leave so she broke open the peanut butter and jelly and started making sandwiches.  Her actions showed that she stood on the fact that there would be enough bread left to make him a nice supply of sandwiches… I jumped in the back of the suburban and started digging through a box of odds and ends that my dad had given me from his bathroom cupboard.  We were able to find shampoo, soap, lotion, and a washcloth for him.  He was so happy. 

·         Our amazing God took the old left overs from my mom’s cupboard who had passed away 1 ½ years ago and blessed this man who desperately needed some food, shoes, and lots of bubbles J

·         Keith met a man today who lives by the river and is in desperate need for a job.  Keith spoke with incredible belief to this gentleman.  He spoke “hope” to this man, hope of job possibilities, hope of clothes that were just his size, and hope of a new day tomorrow as well as God’s amazing forgiveness and grace.  The man left with a bible that had a special note written just for him…Keith wrote, “ Isaiah 61:3…God gives us beauty for ashes, joy for sorrow, and praise for heaviness” in addition to the promise, “Today is a new day”.  The strong rugged man who withstands the cold of night as well as the fear of the darkness by the river broke down in tears and sobbed as Keith hugged him…. Thank you Keith for standing on God’s promises…. Those are moments that change eternity….

·         Another woman showed up with her 16 year old son.  Keith said, “No worries, we will have something that is his size.  I am believing that there is something here in this pile of clothes that will work for him.”  “Ya sure…” she replied skeptically.  Keith said that inside he was asking God to please please show that He was real to this lady.  He found boxers and shirts that worked and Keith said, “See, God knew what you needed and He met you here.”  The lady just looked at him and smiled… she knew…

·         Two of our people are believing that they have a chance for change… One woman is entering a 6 month rehab program-  she is 6 weeks pregnant and will go in for rehab on June 29^th.  Please pray for Charity and her unborn baby.   Zack told us that he is going to start a 2 year rehab program with the mission… These are huge steps for them.  Please remember them in your prayers.

·         I am praying and believing that we will have breakthrough for the women down there…. We had so many women the last couple weeks… new faces…. New very sad, broken faces… women with bruises, women with pimps, women with fear in their eyes, lifeless faces with dead expressions, women who are slaves to their addictions and slaves to their only means to make money.  The 85 pound anorexic, meth-addicted ladies break my heart- how are they going to make it?  I think that they are going to o.d. or have a massive heart attack because their bodies are so feeble and look like they are going to fall over.

·         I am praying and believing that the number of men with black eyes, bruised hands, and stitches decreases…and I am believing that Chris who has surgery tomorrow morning on his broken hand will continue to draw closer to the Lord.  Chris is an addict who has HIV.  He has been staying around longer and longer each week.  This week he asked for prayer for his surgery.  I am believing that Jesus has his place picked out in heaven and that Chris will come to know Jesus as his personal savior.

·         “Test Me and try Me sayeth the Lord”… I don’t ever want to purposely test God, but I am so thankful that God shows Himself so Amazingly as we step out in faith.  The Lord is growing my faith every week more and more.  Thank You Jesus for loving us so much and for taking care of so many needs that we don’t even know we need….. In Jesus Holy Name… Amen.

Promises.....

Promises are funny things because if you are living according to the world- promises are just things that people commit to that may or may not be broken.  We have all experienced promises that have been broken…. even if there was a pinky promise shake, a cross my heart hope to die, or a promise made over your great grandmother’s grave. 

Even  the most trusted people in our lives break promises at times- not necessarily on purpose or to be hurtful, but rather because circumstances changed and it just couldn’t be helped. 

I broke a promise last week on North 1^st Street and I felt really awful about it.  It haunted me throughout the first half of my week.  See we had been helping this one couple whose house burned down in the winter.  They did not have family in Washington and were homeless.  We had helped them earlier with tents, sleeping bags, food, and friendship.  Two Sundays ago, they approached Keith to tell him that their clothes and belongings had been stolen.  They tried to hide their tent and other belongings only to have them washed away by the high river water.  They only had the clothes on their backs and then whatever they could get from our clothes give away that day. 

Keith listened but was really busy with the organized chaos that occurs every Sunday in the empty lot.  The husband came and spoke with me and I felt so sad for them because they had been trying so hard to make the best of their situation.  They had been looking for jobs, had signed up for housing with the state, and were truly thankful as well as products of their circumstance.  I wrote a list of what they needed and promised to meet them that night at 7:00 along the Greenway where we agreed. 

The remainder of the day went on until we eventually pulled up in front of our house.  Keith looked exhausted and gave me the look like “Please do not say we have to go somewhere else.”    I was caught between my own promise to them and my desire to not add anymore to Keith’s load than I already had over the past 2 months with my shoulder surgery.  That night I watched the clock as it crept towards 7:00 and then soon after past….. My heart sank as I realized that I was not going to fulfill my promise.  I felt like a fake, a coward, and like I wrecked any trust that we had built up with this couple.  I know they waited along the Greenway for me with hope- only to have it fade away with the daylight.

The thought of them haunted me through the night…. On my way to work (because I pass the spot I was going to meet them every day on the way to and from work)….I just kept picturing them sleeping under a tarp with no blankets because that is the condition that they were living in at that point.  On the way home from work on the 2^nd day I actually saw them sitting at the spot that I was going to meet them.  I didn’t know how to drive back where they were from the freeway… so I continued on home :0(   I talked to the Lord about it and shared how sorry I was to promise something that was so serious when I couldn’t actually make it happen. 

Finally on Wednesday Keith received a phone call from them with fantastic news.  I was praying so hard that they had a job or housing, but what they said totally surprised me.  They had visited the doctor that day and found out that the wife was pregnant!  At first when Keith told me… I didn’t connect the dots…. Because she was pregnant, they qualified for 28 day emergency housing and then they would receive permanent housing for the following 2 years!!!!  I was so so excited!!! J  They would not have to sleep out in the wild any more!!!  They could actually sleep in a real bed with a roof over their heads and a lock on the door! And a toilet, and heat, and light, and a stove, and…. And…. And……

We were able to visit them in their new place and share in the excitement!  We all prayed together and thanked the Lord for His amazing grace and mercy!  There was no doubt that the couple was sold out for God and that they had fallen down before Him pleading for help in their situation.  I did not follow through on my promise, but God did!!! 

God is the only One whose promise we can ALWAYS trust in!!! God does not ever lie.  He keeps all of His promises.  He never forgets, or over promises, or ignores us…Our friends on North 1^st street have shared how many people failed them throughout their lives…. Parents who failed to keep them safe as children, relatives who failed to love them the way that God wanted them to love, drugs that promised to make everything better- only to end in crashing lives, promises of easy money- only resulting in jail time, and promises of food and shelter- only to end in no one showing up. 

Only God can help restore the trust that people need to believe His promises!  I pray that God can penetrate their hurt souls and broken hearts.  He can breathe hope into broken dreams and lost promises.  God’s promises NEVER fail!!!

Can you imagine the freedom that we would all live in if we truly grasped God’s promises?  If we really believed in the core of our being that God never break’s His promises???  That He doesn’t break ANY of His promises- Not even one!  And that His promises are for each of us who believe in Him, not just for some separate chosen few…

It is not just our North 1^st Street friends who would walk in freedom, but each of us who do not fully grasp the concept of God’s promises-  Kingdom promises- as opposed to earthly, fleshly promises.

Here are just a few of God’s Kingdom Promises……

God Promises that:

·         He is our Savior-John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

·         Jesus is our Lord-  Philippians 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name with is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things inheaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

·         Jesus is our Love-  1 John 4:7-12  “For God is love.”

·         Jesus is our Peace- Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

·         Jesus is our Forgiveness- Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

·         Jesus gives us Righteousness- Philippians 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

·         Jesus is our Deliverer- Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

·         Jesus is our Fellowship- Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

·         Jesus is our Example- I Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

·         Jesus is our Brother- Galatians 3:26  “For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

·         Jesus is your Guardian- Psalm 61:3  “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

·         Jesus is our Security- Romans 8:38, 39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

·         Jesus is our Sufficiency- Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

·         Jesus is our Fulfillment- John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst.”

·         Jesus is our Everything- Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply allyour need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

·         Jesus is our Strength- Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God , my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

·         Jesus is our Encourager- John 14-27  “Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

·         Jesus is our Supplier- Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

·         Jesus is our Healer- Psalm 147:3 “He heals the broken heart, and binds up their wounds.”

·         Jesus is our Courage- Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord they God, he is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

·         Jesus is our Life Giver- Isaiah 44:3  “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon they seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:”

·         Jesus is our One and Only One to Count On!- “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

(These promises were taken from a book given to Keith by his mother- “God’s Promises for Your Every Need”

These are only some of Your promises dear Lord!  There are so many more in Your Word! Thank You so much for such beautiful promises.  I am your bond servant-  I owe You my life because that is the very least I can do for You when You have done so so much for me! Please help my  heart grasp more fully the completeness of Your promises!  I pray that my friends on North 1^st Street as well as all the world will know and trust in Your amazing promises!!!!

End of Month....

This week was definitely an indication that it was the end of the  month.  On the streets, the last half of the month is not a good thing.  If the first part of the month is characterized by eat, drink, and be merry- the last half of the month is characterized by ration, limit, and hunger.  This past Sunday was the last Sunday of the month.  It seemed like people were really hungry, not very “cheery”, and hurting. 

I usually spend my time making sure that the food line is running smoothly while Keith grabs a few people to help him hand out grocery bags to the people standing in line. He tries to shake their hands, say “hi”,   and see how everyone’s week was.  Keith said that there seemed to be a lot of hurting people.  Injuries from fights, people not feeling good health wise, and for some reason a lot of the women had been beaten last week.  Does it sound odd to you?  It sure did to me.  There were 4-5 women who had been beaten up by their boyfriends or clients.  :0(   One woman even showed us the bruises on her back.  Others used powdered make-up to try and hide the bruises on their faces. This was so sad to me.  I was in a marriage for almost 8 years that was very abusive verbally and emotionally.  Many years were spent in fear so I can’t even imagine what these women go through on a regular basis in order to get their fix.  It truly would be a living hell!!

This week I spent most of my 2 hours talking to one particular homeless man who has been coming to visit us for the past 7 months.  This week I was blessed with the honor of listening to Glen for a small part of my day.  I could feel the peace of the Lord whispering in my heart… “This is what I have for you today.  Do not busy yourself with ‘jobs’, just take the time to be my ear.” 

Glen is a paranoid schizophrenic and is very open about his condition.  This week more than anything, he just needed to talk and have someone listen.  Usually I will listen to him for a short time and then move on to help other people, but this week I felt like the Lord wanted me to stay longer.  Glen started the conversation by saying that usually I am running around there like a chicken with my head cut off and that I am too busy to listen.  Instead of feeling impatient and irritated, the Lord helped me to hear what he was really saying… he just wanted someone to take the time to listen… time to get his worries spoken… out of his head where thoughts must zing around bouncing from lobe to lobe- only to crash into each other making no sense what so ever.

My friend voiced his worries that ranged from how to find a reliable vehicle to how to deal with tendonitis of the forearm.  I could feel his loneliness as well as the confusion that seemed to overwhelm him.  The whole idea of setting an appointment, trying to get to the appointment, remembering to go to the appointment, and then trying to re-schedule the appointment intermixed with flying thoughts of how to buy a used car without being taken advantage of because you would have to know a mechanic to get it checked out first, but if you didn’t know a mechanic then you couldn’t get a car, intersected with ideas of back pain, sciatic nerve pain, anger management problems- how these ailments make it hard to work, but then again anger problems make it hard to work with people and the whole dynamics of figuring out how to get housing, let alone how to budget money… paying bills…All of those ideas fly through his head at lightning speed- bouncing off one another and ending in a huge tangled exhausted mess… with no answer in sight. 

There are wonderful physicians and case workers whose jobs are to treat people with conditions like Glens and I am very thankful that they are there.  Unfortunately, this is just a tiny glimpse into the conversation that we had.  The thing that stood out the most to me was that Glen needed to be heard by another human being.  His ideas just circled about and intersected each other over and over as if he stopped for just a minute to breathe… that I might leave. 

We couldn’t stop people from getting beat up, rescue the boyfriend who was in jail, or fix the loneliness in the rest of the week, but for 2 hours we could fill their stomachs with hot chili and cornbread, offer a smile-a kind word, a prayer… More than anything I want our friends on North 1^st St. to know the truth of The Word…..Isaiah 49:23….”Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.     Isaiah 51:6  “But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.”  Isaiah 49:26  “Then all mankind will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Many of our North 1^st St. friends do know the Lord and they do stand on His word!  It is wonderful and encouraging to us to meet them, to hear their stories, and to see their resilience as well as their hope.  Today we handed out 48 bibles!  All of the bibles we brought went…. Beautiful bibles in the hands of our friends.  Thank you Jesus!!! 

Our wonderful team was there to offer words of encouragement, prayer, and smiles…. These really are priceless gifts to offer!  Thank you to our incredible team of volunteers who pray, donate, and serve… you are truly wonderful extensions of God’s hands! 

Thank You Jesus for Your Love and Encourgement!  May we continue to serve You with love and tenderness! :0)

Spring "Fruit!"

I usually do not blog on Saturday night, but this Saturday is different because this was a different week :0)  God is so cool!! I just love sharing His amazing grace because it is so encouraging to me! 

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

In last week’s blog I shared my heart and how I struggled with wanting to see results.  The Lord put on my heart that I was helping out on North 1^st street as an act of worship to Him because that is what He called us to do 7 months ago.  In His word He tells us to not grow weary while doing good, because in due season there shall be fruit…. And He cautions us to not lose heart.

My heart did in fact change… and I did begin to worship as I served.  The cool part was that the very next week, the Lord shared some of the “fruit” that has come from the winter and I would like to share it with you now.

The first story involved a family of 7 who were living in a 2 bedroom motel room.  They’ve come down to North 1^st for food many Sundays and we have developed a good relationship with them.  This past week the boyfriend of the mother called to ask Keith a question regarding getting his driver’s license.  At the end of the conversation Keith asked if they needed anything else.  The boyfriend handed the phone to the mother.  Keith said, “Is there anything you need?”  She was quiet for a moment and then said in a meek voice, “We could use some food.  We don’t have any food and I wanted to have some food for Crystal’s 6^th birthday tomorrow.”  Pow!! A punch landed right in my stomach when Keith told me…. “We don’t have any food..,. I wanted to have food for my daughter’s 6^th birthday.”  I must say,  I have not ever been out of food.  I always had something in the cupboard even if it was just a little bit. 

Keith sent out a text to the team and within an hour we had wonderful responses!  It was beautiful to see people respond to the need in such a loving way.  Sacks of groceries, socks, toiletries, and birthday presents showed up in the driveway.  It was so beautiful!!! Keith and I had the honor of bringing the bags to the family that night.  They were so grateful!  We stood with the mother in the parking lot of their motel and prayed a beautiful prayer of thanks.  Later in the week, the boyfriend called to discuss job possibilities with Keith…. The response of our team was beautiful “fruit” as well as the hope that seemed to be infused into this struggling family.  Continue to pray for a job for the boyfriend… It is wonderful that he is working on finding a job and that Crystal was able to have food for her birthday… as well as a birthday cake and pretty presents :0)   (God… You are so so cool!)

Another of our North 1^st St. friends was rained out in last week’s torrential down pour!  With the rising river… He lost most of his clothes and belongings.  He also called Keith this week-  Thanks to the Old Light House… we were able to clothe our friend.  When Keith went down to give him the clothes, he came out of the woods wearing some swim trunks and a t-shirt.  Through shivering teeth he said, “See I really did lose everything.”  Thankfully our friend was able to get to higher ground and had warm clothes to keep him warm.  During Keith’s interaction down by the river, two other guys from North 1^st came up to him and were able to share some very encouraging words with him.  They told him how much it meant to the people down there to have us come every Sunday.  They shared how the first 15 days of the month are not bad, but the last half of the month gets really tight and food is rationed out.  They thanked us for coming down every Sunday and said that the people around there rely on that hot meal as well as look forward now to Sundays.  The Lord is doing so much more than filling stomachs.

Finally,  Friday Keith received a call from a married couple who we saw all through the winter and spring.  We haven’t seen them for about 2 months.  The husband shared that they had made amends with his wife’s father and was living with him.  They had previously been out on the street for 23 months- selling and using drugs.  The husband shared that he now has a job at Wal-Mart and they attend church out in Wiley City weekly.  The couple continued to share how an elderly woman gave them a car free and clear when they enquired about the selling price of her old Buick that was parked out in her field.  “Average Joe’s” is how they now refer to themselves.

The thing that really got me was when they said that they had met us one of the first nights that we were out on North 1^st back in October.  They said that we had given them beef jerky that night.  They shared that the night we met them filled them with hope and that each week that they saw us continually gave them hope and encouragement to take steps little by little to get their lives together.  Week after week we saw them, but we had no idea what the Lord was doing in their hearts.  I think God was showing us this week that there really is “fruit” and that we need to “not grow weary while doing good for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  

Thank you Jesus for knowing how much it helped my heart to hear such beautiful encouraging stories.  Please know that whatever part you have in this adventure…. Whether it be praying for, donating to, cooking for, or handing out…. Your acts of love are not in vain… as a matter of fact… the Lord is reaping “fruit” from your good works.  Thank you for all that you do!!!!  And thank you Jesus for giving us a tiny peak into the things that You are do

Form of Worship.....

In  John 4:24 Jesus told the woman at the well how to worship.  He said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.”  The NIV further explains that the place of worship is irrelevant, because true worship must be in keeping with God’s nature, which is spirit….”

This scripture means so much to me because last week I wasn’t able to write a blog.  I went out to North 1^st as always, but my heart was in a different place.  We had been helping one family in particular the past couple weeks and right when I pulled up this particular week, I was inundated with requests for “more”… Long story short- I didn’t really get to help other people that week or interact with the volunteers because I was kind of cornered by a few who were very needy- I think  I felt so irritated because I had already given more than I probably should have- including time, emotions, and material things the previous week.  If you have children you might relate to it best with this example-  Have you ever given your child or children more than you probably should have?  You either bought too much for them, or treated them more than normal, or devoted more time than you really had available so that other things suffered- then after it was all done- they returned within a short time to let you know that they still had more requests.  It is a mixture of feeling guilty for doing too much already/over extending yourself, irritated that it didn’t seem to be “enough” to satisfy them, and irritated because they didn’t seem thankful enough to match the level of sacrifice that you felt you put out.  All and all it was a very irritating, empty, “selfish” feeling that left me at a loss for words.  I didn’t blog about that week, but I couldn’t really put my finger on the reason why….Mainly because I was too wrapped up in my own feelings about it-and feeling rather ashamed of my selfish reaction.

Well, fast forward to this past Sunday.  We were planning a taco lunch for all of our 1^st street friends.  I worked through the week on the details with so many wonderful volunteers that were so willing to pitch in and supply what we needed.  I kept seeking the Lord’s words to try and understand what was going on in my heart… but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  Finally I had a break through.  Sunday morning while I was cooking in the kitchen with the praise music going- good spicy smells steaming from the pots- and my own thoughts focusing on God…. I heard Him-  “It is an act of worship.”  “A what?” I questioned.   “An act of worship- not acts of work”   So simple-but so heart changing!!!  Immediately I repented for my past attitudes that I had let into my heart and just as immediately God brought peace and joy to my heart.  It was sudden-a 180 degree shift in my heart that I had been searching for, over the last  week and a half.  Thank you Lord for knowing those things in my heart that I can’t even put into words.

The remainder of the day truly was an act of worship.  I wasn’t worried about how many people showed up, whether or not we would have enough food, or if people’s lives would be changed.  All those things that in my humanness- I want to try and measure to determine success or failure- the Lord erased in a blink of an eye.  I just focused on doing my part to the best of my ability knowing that it truly was an act of worship- not of works. 

I don’t know if it was the new change of heart or the sun shiny day, but the freshness of spring seemed to jump out to me as we loaded up and headed down.  It seemed like the flowers were so bright and colorful under the pure blue sky.  The heat seemed to jump on the valley unexpectedly this last weekend which really helped all of the flowers.  The Valley’s new sprouts and buds were just as encouraging as the new blossoming hope that seemed to ring out this week on North 1^st.  Even though it was hot and people were sweaty- they still showed up in huge numbers to fellowship, eat, and grab a few pieces of clothing.  For an hour and a half people flowed through the food line and to my amazement there was enough for firsts as well as 2nds for the road for those who wanted .  It was exciting to hear about people who had found jobs.  One teenage boy in particular had a neat turn around this week.  This boy is junior high age and is special needs.  He has not been in school for some time now, but last week Keith gave him some nice clothes and shoes with the one request that he get back into school.  This week as soon as he saw Keith he ran up to him and told him that he had gone back to school this past week and so had his sister.  I pray that he keeps at it.  Without education- the cycle continues      :0(    This young man shared a change in his life that is life giving-  that is like fresh sprouts peeking through the fertile soil!  Hope is in the air!

A man that looked in his early thirties walked up to me this week and shared that he had been to church earlier that morning.  He then proceeded to tell me what the sermon had been about.  It was so neat to hear him tell about how Jesus picked up the “remnants of bread” after feeding the 5,000.  He was so excited to have gotten the revelation that we are the “remnants”  and that Jesus never leaves the remnants behind!  How beautiful was that!  He realized that we are all the remnants and that Jesus will never leave us behind.  This man had tears in his eyes as he shared God’s word.  What a life giving message to someone who is homeless, but not hopeless!!

Two of our homeless people brought us things that they wanted to donate back to the group.  One man helps with another organization that works with the needy.  They didn’t want some things and so he asked if he could share them with our group.  Last week he brought make up for the women and this week he brought little sewing kits that would be wonderful for our North 1^st street friends.  The thing that struck me as really neat was that he wanted to give back.  8-10 volunteers stuck around this week to help tear down tables and gather up the garbage.  They didn’t just take and leave, but instead wanted to be part of the team.  People are blossoming before our eyes just like the flowers and fruit trees throughout the valley. 

Not only is the Lord working on the weeds in my own heart, but He is also working on the condition of the soil, the seeds planted, the sprouts emerging, and the blossoms budding.  God does not forget the remnants, nor does He leave any ground unturned.  Once the seeds are planted, God is able to be the Master Gardner and do what needs to be done in order to harvest a beautiful harvest. 

As I mentioned in the beginning-  The Lord showed me that North 1^st street is about an act of worship to Him.  “True worship must be in keeping with God’s nature” which is love.  Through the Love that we extend to each person, God is exalted and glorified!  Songs of worship fly up to the heavens with each pot that is stirred, person that is hugged, shirt that is folded, and conversation that is had…. Praise you Jesus, Praise You Lord!!! You are Lord and King!  Please help my heart to stay focused on You and not distracted by the business of life or  my own humanness.

P.S......

Oh Yeah.... P.S.   As for the freedom tree... it will stay out on North 1st St. as a daily reminder of the freedom that Jesus offers to every one of us!  As for my favorite Easter?  I would say that this one is right up there with the best! and as for more services on North 1st. St.??? Let's just say that the Lord Jesus might decide to have "church" out in that empty lot very soon!  Lord it is in Your hands and we follow Your leading!!! :0)  Bye for now!