What a week!!

An accident, a graduation, interaction with three different churches, a couple parties and a great day downtown. Yep…what a week! What a God we serve. I am blessed far beyond anything I deserve. I have no idea how or why. I just know that I have been blessed with a family that provided much support over the last year and a half or so while I pursued the completion of my Bachelor's degree. I mention this because they were so vital in my being able to complete this milestone. By the grace of God…

This week was a blur. I was in a car accident on Tuesday. Coming home from work, a fellow in the lane next to me on I-480 decided he liked my lane better than his and made a hard left into my lane. Things like that happen pretty fast. We've all been there. It was pretty surreal. One minute I'm cruising home planning my workout, just kind of unwinding in my mind, the next minute I'm playing Mario Andretti on the temporary concrete barrier set up on the east side of the interstate. I was literally up on the wall for what seemed like a couple of seconds. Amazing how something like that can happen so fast… Tom is a homeless fellow we know. Met Tom quite a while back now it seems. Severe alcoholic to my untrained eye. Doesn't take much to see the severity of Tom's problem. To some, maybe Tom just needs to get a grip on his problems. To Tom, well it seems much deeper than that. You see, Tom lost his wife and kids in an auto accident. I'm guessing it happened pretty fast. I don't know if Tom had a drinking problem before the accident. He does for sure now. And he got another little gift from the accident to boot. A glass eye. Offered to take it out for me once. I declined. Seems it "fell" out at the mission recently. Someone took it. That's right. Someone took his eye. Is this the type of thing a guy like Tom has to deal with? He's in the process of getting a new one, but my goodness. When I saw Tom today, and as I reflected on my accident, I am thankful and so grateful that I drove away from my situation. Tom wasn't so lucky. And now he pays daily.

I mentioned I graduated yesterday. It was a pretty emotional day and I was somewhat surprised by it. I spent a year and a few months in an accelerated program with a great group of people. Several of whom have been down to help on Sundays and one who comes down every single week. She is a blessing to us in so many ways. I sat next to her during our ceremony yesterday and we had a chance to talk about the new connections we make constantly on that corner. Her daughter, a high school senior, is a regular also. They are invested. Committed. It just amazes me that they started coming down to help and even more so that they continue to come. I say this because it seems so many people come and go. It is so refreshing to see people like this jump in and be so committed. God is working here and I can't wait to see where He takes us. What connections will be made? One of the most amazing things I'm beginning to see on a fairly consistent basis is the ability of people to come, commit, and invest in what is happening on that corner. It is an experience to be sure. And now because I met a great lady in a class at a local university, we are connected for the long haul. I graduated yesterday from the classroom. But and the things I learned over that 15 month period spent in the classroom are so small compared to the important work and real life stuff that happens every Sunday on that corner. The work done in the name of God.

Paradise was back this week. Paradise Baptist Church. They came and they conquered. They have committed to provide a meal once a month to the ladies and gentlemen that converge on that downtown corner each week. Today they once again did it up right. What a blessing to have them there. For obvious reasons. But one thing it allows for us is a break from cooking for Robin. And all the folks that so diligently provide on a weekly basis. John's been cooking lately and was somewhat disappointed that he didn't get to cook today! Now that's commitment! :) And Trinity Lutheran Church helped out and continues to help out with so many provisions. Loads of blankets this week. A garage full of new coats, hoodies, gloves, hats, etc. in the past. What a blessing. I remember scrambling last winter, spending whole Saturdays going from thrift store to thrift store trying to find coat and things. This year? We literally place boxes of coats on the sidewalk and let people take what they need. I am convinced that if we are obedient to His call and do the work up front, and He sees that we are indeed all in, He will provide in such a way that it will absolutely blow our minds. He does. And it does. Amazing. We went to church twice today. Since we had no food to prepare this morning, we attended church at Corem Deo. We left there and went to church again. Every single time I leave that corner, I feel as though I've been to Church. It is good. So many opportunities to share with people about our faith. I spoke to an older fellow today, very briefly. William was his name. He lives in an apartment right around the corner. Not homeless, but mot exactly living the high life either. Asked him how he was doing. Said he was doing great because he was living for his Lord. Good answer William. Older fellow. Very genuine. I'll seek him out more for sure. I love talking with guys like that, because it seems to be a good way to draw others into a conversation.

I was talking with another fellow as I was loading the trailer. I've mentioned Eric before. He lost his wife five and a half years ago. He receives a monthly disability check. I'm guessing it isn't much. He told me of abusive parents, of how his parents actually told him to go out "get hit by a car so he wouldn't be a burden on them". Huh? And how he was beaten up in school. And then when he lost his wife, apparently something went wrong with his ability to manage his life. If I were to describe Eric, he just seems like a kid trapped in an adult's body. I wish I would have known Eric before his wife's death. What was he like then? He has a daughter in California. Soon to be a grandfather. Was on his way there when his car broke down in Council Bluffs, IA. He found the Open Door Mission. Been here in Omaha for over five years now. Has the best smile. I love Eric. I love talking with him. He always waits around and we almost always get a chance to talk. He comes down every week and we always chat before he leaves. Today we were talking about God vs. science. He asked me what I thought about it? Another fellow, Wayne, was standing there, so I threw it over to him. His response? Well, God created science, so….and we had a great conversation around that. They know we're coming every week and they know why. They know Who sends us. They know Who we "work" for. Some may never believe, in fact I know some will never believe, but that won't stop us from going in His name.

At our Bible study on Tuesday, we read from Isaiah. We were reading from chapter 53 and the following struck me….

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Now obviously we are talking about Jesus here. But as I read the words and as I read them again this morning, I couldn't help but think of a homeless individual. What an opportunity we have in front of us! To share the love of our Christ with those who are marginalized and mistreated. Misfits. The suffering. Because they may be looking for hope and they may be longing for change, and the only way they'll ever find either is through Christ! I can't offer much, besides the connections we've made that allow a guy to get a good pair of boots or a good meal or a great cup of Scooter's coffee. But I can share the Love. And I will. Every single Sunday at noon…

Peace and have a great and blessed week!

…"it matters to that one"… :)

It’s just soup…

Man was it cold today!! Not sure on the temps, but IT WAS COLD!! Nice thing about it for me is that I get to move around quite a bit down there and I’ve learned how to dress. All about layers and nice boots. Got to have a good pair of boots and a pair of good wool socks. But man it was cold. And then I see that our friends in Charlotte are having a dose of real winter weather. Guess it doesn’t matter where you live for this weekend? And I wonder how some of our friends downtown manage to stay outdoors in this kind of weather. I do not know how they do it.

I was talking to Tom today. Tom had been staying in a tent down by the river. Has a goose and everything. Yes, a real live goose. Tom finally gave in and headed to a shelter. Been on the streets since 2001. Why? Just quit. Was drinking pretty heavily at the time and just gave up. I asked him if he drinks now, because unlike a lot of our friends, I‘ve never seen him the least bit intoxicated. His answer? Not anymore. Might have a drink from time to time. But no more living for it. So why does he choose to live in a tent by the river? You ever been down by the river? It’s always colder there. Why does a guy choose to be there in this climate? Don’t know the answer. Now he has finally chosen to go in. But when the weather breaks, and I’d guess that means temps in the 20s or 30s, he’ll be back out. Great guy. Strange choices. But he does indeed have a goose. He was leaving today on his bike to go back to feed the goose. Need to find out if the goose has a name. One other thing Tom said made me laugh a little. He said he wasn’t sure if we’d be there. I said c’mon man!! We’ve not missed a Sunday in 14 months. Why then would we choose to do so today??!! So it was COLD and SNOWING!! He said he knew. The others had set him straight. Told him diehard Dave would be there. I just laughed. I’ve been called lots of things. That’s a new one. If there’s one thing God blessed me with, it’s a desire to see a task to completion. Now I don’t always make it. But this one is far too important. We’ll be there each and every Sunday, God willing. Diehard!

Something really cool is beginning to happen on that corner. I mean lots of cool things are happening. But I believe that as word gets out that the opportunity is there and all a person or persons has to do is show up, more people are taking advantage of what God is offering there. Take this for instance. I mentioned in an earlier blog about a fellow by the name of Robert. If I got the story correctly, Robert was in the Old Market one night. For those not familiar with Omaha, the Old Market is a place just south and east of downtown Omaha. Kind of an old, historical district with shops and restaurants. Real popular place. So Robert is there one night with some kids from his youth group. Who does he meet? My friend Bill. And what does Bill do? He invites Robert to our Sunday activities. So here’s a homeless fellow inviting Robert to visit us. How cool is that?! And Robert has been praying for God to place a burden on his heart. Something to do for the Lord. And He delivers. And now Robert comes every week. And has started a small fellowship/Bible discussion at the library. And Steven, a fellow who lives at the Sienna Francis House shelter is in. And seems to be hungry. And John, another fellow who has been helping us on a weekly basis is going to take part also. John is cooking, helping out with all sorts of things and just generally following what Christ calls us all to do. Help the least of those. So here are 3 different guys from 3 different walks of life joining together in a public library to discuss the Word of God because they met on a street corner in downtown Omaha. So is it just soup?

Here’s another one. Eric. Now, I met Eric a few months ago. My first thought of Eric when I initially met him was he seems to have some kind of something that’s just not quite clicking. He has his own place. He is a very happy fellow. What’s Eric’s story? Eric’s wife died 5 years ago in Wisconsin. I think he told me how she died, but I honestly can’t remember. He’s 42 and has a daughter who lives, I believe, in California. He was on his way to visit his daughter 5 years ago and his car broke down in Omaha, on I-80. He took up residence at the Open Door Mission and started coming down to our corner on Sundays. Eventually, he managed to get his own place. But why stay? Is that how a lot of these guys end up here? I try to put myself in a guy like Eric’s shoes and I’d like to think I’d find a way out. But I don’t think it’s that easy. So he’s been here for 5 years. Homeless at first. Barely above that now. I don’t know. But he always waits around after everyone leaves and I always try to get to him to chat for a few minutes. Seems to be all he wants. I mean he always eats. But he never asks for anything. Just waits on the outer edges to chat. Today we talked about people in the Bible living for hundreds of years. Can’t remember how we got on that specific topic, but we talked. And that is what it’s all about. Getting to know the Erics a little better each week. And letting God lead the conversations. And listening. Really listening. And that is difficult for me at times, because Sundays are full of activity and I sometimes feel as though my head is on a swivel because of all the activity that is going on at any given time on that corner. And all the friends I want to get to. Just not enough time to get to everyone. But Eric always waits. It’s not just soup…

Got a call this week from the youth pastor at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church. Looking for a service project for the kids in his group. So they came down today to just kind of see what it is we do. Could they come and help in some way and make it meaningful to the kids, while also serving in the greater mission? Sure. The opportunity exists for anyone to come and do what it is He calls them to do. See, for me the bigger picture is becoming clearer all the time. All we had to do was open the non-existent doors. The wall-less, open air expanse that God has blessed us with is simply one big fat opportunity for anyone who feels the need. Or the desire to help. The hunger to do exactly as we are directed. In His name. For His glory. Because that’s what it’s all about. And the folks from Kountze are going to help. And the folks from Paradise Baptist are coming back next week and they’re bringing a big batch of food. Doing all the cooking. And the folks from Trinity Lutheran Church in Papillion have blessed us and our friends with way too many things to mention. That’s one of the coolest things about this ministry for me. People from all walks of life, all denominations, all ages, all coming together in the name of God to take care of our friends as best we can. It’s not just soup.

You see, before we left to go downtown today, we prayed. We do every week. Robin, myself and another couple who’ve been in since practically day 1. As we prayed, and Paul prayed that God would lead us with the right actions and words, he mentioned that it’s just soup. This time of year, we’re pretty limited on what we bring for meals. Logistically, it almost has to be some kind of soup. And even that is difficult to keep warm in sub zero temps. But what Paul meant and spoke to in our prayer was that sure, it started with and continues weekly with a big pot of soup. Or many big pots of soup. And it’s a good home cooked meal, or guys wouldn’t leave the warm confines of the day shelter to come the mile or so to have a cup of soup in this kind of weather. But it’s more that that. And Paul spoke to that very eloquently in his prayer. It’s about sharing the love of Christ with our friends every single week. Like a diehard. Never giving up. Never missing an opportunity. All through a cup of soup, a bit of bread, some really good Scooter’s coffee, maybe a cup of hot chocolate and a whole lot of His love. And that’s the single most important aspect.

I have to say I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Maybe a week here and there in our old church in Charlotte. That community that we long for. But for now, we get to do this. Who knows where it goes from here? I don’t and that’s ok. No need. The best thing I can do is to stay out of the way and let Him work. Because He is. And when He does, the most amazing things happen.

It’s just soup?!!!! Well it is, but it’s not. :)

Peace and have a great and blessed week!

…”it matters to that one”… :)

It’s not about me/us?

I started this online journal sometime last year. This thing for me was a means for keeping track of what was going on at any given time in this ministry that God has most definitely blessed us with. Looking back, it lets me do several things. It gives me a way of going back and seeing what changes have taken place in His ministry. It also lets me see what may have been happening at any given time within our downtown activities. But I'd venture to guess the most important thing for me is it simply gives me an outlet to express some thoughts and ideas, some good…some maybe not so good. It really was meant to be a personal journal of my own journey. I try to think of a few things that happen each Sunday and then pray and ask God to give me the words to express my thoughts in a way that would be pleasing to Him. The problem? They've not always been pleasing to others. I'll get to that more later.

The thing is, for me anyway, is that none of this is about me…or us. I try my hardest not to make it about me. Or us. I told Robin last night I wish we could have gone down the first day with one of those goofy wrestling masks. That way no one would even know who we were. I know that sounds totally ridiculous and I'm really only being facetious. But it's clearly not about us. It's about Him. It's about His Glory. His Greatness. I talked to a fellow last Sunday who comes to our Tuesday Bible study. He came down after attending church last week. It was his first visit to our corner. And his response, after standing back and taking it all in, was something along the following lines. "Man, you guys have really blown this thing out". My response? Man, we've done nothing. He has really blown it out. All we've done is what He asks us all to do. Something. In His name. For His Glory. Another comment he made was along the lines of how difficult it would be to walk away from these Sunday happenings without being a little puffed up and beating his chest just a little. And he has a point. But you see, it's not about us. Never has been. Never will be. It's all about giving God the praise and glory He so richly deserves. Not about us.

Id' like to make this a little personal this week. I mean it's always somewhat personal, but this week, I'd like to attempt to go a little deeper yet. The past few months and even the last year or so have been a real struggle in some ways. But the last couple of weeks have been a real struggle for me personally. It's not like I won't get through my issues, but I've really been feeling some pressure lately and it is a real struggle to not think about it daily, if not hourly. It has to do with personal relationships and such. And how do we, as humans, allow them to go so terribly wrong sometimes. I guess this is my attempt to add a little clarity to some of my thoughts and feelings of the past year or so, if that is at all possible. Over the course of the past year, I've mentioned things in my blogs that may have challenged or offended people close to me. I can say this up front. Never, and I mean never, have I ever attempted to point at someone and say mean or ugly things. These blogs are simply a collection of my thoughts, placed in a public forum obviously, but the real intent has been to sit down, pray about where God is leading me, and then simply put my thoughts down on paper. Or electronic paper, so to speak. While I may have, at times, been somewhat defensive or come across as irritated, I've never intended to be malicious. I've never intended to be angry. I've never intended to hurt anyone or mislead anyone. I really just wanted an outlet to share the wonderfully amazing things God is doing in my family's lives and in this ministry. However, when the "adversarial one" sees good things happening in His name, he tends to want to get involved, if you know what I mean. And unfortunately, I have a tendency to mess things up. Why does it have to be so stinking complicated at times? All I really want to do is stand on the rooftops of downtown Omaha buildings and tell everyone who will listen what great people we have the opportunity to serve each and every week. I want to tell of the relationships that we have begun to develop with some really great people that tend to get marginalized in lots of cases. I've wanted to share with those closest to us and anyone else who will listen, what a great and awesome God we serve and what great and amazing things He's doing in my life, my family's lives and the lives of those around me. That's all. It's really as simple as that. It really is. One problem with an outlet like this can be the fact that inflection and intention can be misunderstood at times. It's quite hard to express different emotions and it's quite easy to read a few lines and get an entirely different meaning. It also easy to write something that may hurt someone. And once it's done, you can't take it back. I guess it speaks to the old cliché about the written word cutting like a knife. Once the knife is inserted and the cut is made, well…

One thing I've learned is that it's been very therapeutic for me to do this on a weekly basis. I honestly can go back and read some of these on occasion and see God's words. Not mine. So from that aspect, it is good. And I can see where maybe I mentioned an individual and maybe see where that specific individual is now. Or see how much change has happened in certain aspects of this wonderful ministry that God has so blatantly placed in our laps. For instance, we have over 40 people helping on a regular basis now. 40! We needed 'em. God sent 'em. From all different aspects of our lives. From my workplace. From home school groups. From a college class. From my family. From wherever. It is amazing to me to see God work in this ministry and my blogs are simply meant to be an outlet to let others know just how great He's been in this thing. And for me, this is new ground all around. If you'd told me a few years ago that we'd be doing something like this, and I'd be all in, I'd have told you that you were crazy. Absolutley, out of your mind, going over the edge crazy. Something like this is entirely too far out of my comfort zone. But I realized it's not about my comfort. Not about my anything. Not about me. And He certainly has a way of directing our journeys if we let Him.

I guess I say all of this to say the following. If I've offended anyone over the course of the last year, and I know I have, you have my deepest and sincerest apologies. From the bottom of my heart. I say it publicly because this is where it is. I ask for forgiveness and ask that you keep us in your prayers. We Laneys are in uncharted waters, from many standpoints. We've simply tried to go where the Lord is leading us. And he is clearly leading, because there is no way this could be happening on a weekly basis without His guidance. Have we made mistakes? Unfortunately, yes. Will w make more? Unfortunately, yes. We are only human. But I cannot remember the last time I set out to intentionally hurt someone. I've certainly experienced feelings towards those I love. But I'd never go out of my way to hurt anyone. And I realize these are just words. But they are my words from deep within after prayerful consideration. I've really been searching for answers lately. I have lots of questions and the answers aren't as free flowing as I'd maybe like. I guess we've all been there. It's been a journey. It'll continue to be so. That much I'm sure of. But if I'm honest and if I'm really following what I believe to be the Lord's calling for us, then we, as a family, have to continue on. Have to.

I could go on...I won't.

I'm sorry. And I ask for your prayers and forgiveness. Guess I sort of did make it about me/us after all…

I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
Psalm 120:1

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

..."it matters to that one"... :)

How are you spending your Dash?

What an amazing day! So today was almost like the first day of Spring! Here in Omaha when the weather gets in the 40s in January, you're thinking Spring! But the reality is that we have a few months of ugly coming. Today, however was indeed good. And what a day?! We had old friends back to visit, had another visit from the Omaha Fire and Rescue folks, had some friends deliver loads of brand new coats and just too many other things to remember. Those couple or three hours that we spend on that corner each Sunday are beginning to have lots of features. :)

Our day really started on Friday evening at the memorial service we attended. Our friend Doug passed away at the young age of 42 a few weeks ago. We attended a service in his honor Friday at the Open Door Mission. It was probably one of the coolest memorial services I've ever attended. For lots of reasons. I mean, Doug is gone. That pains us all. He was a great guy and someone we were just really getting to know. Developing a friendship with him and getting to go a little deeper. But the pastor at the shelter who delivered the message was right on with that message. One thing I took away was this – how am I living my dash? You know the dash. That mark on the tombstone that separates our birth date from our death date. Our dash. Our life. Here on earth. How are you living yours?

A couple of long lost friends returned to our corner today. Gabe's been in jail for a while. Seems he had a debt to take care of. Satisfied that debt by doing some time. He's a short Italian fellow. Last time I saw him he was doing pretty badly. Told us he had cancer. Was losing lots of weight. Didn't have that much to lose, so we were worried about him. I've often wondered over the past year or so if he didn't lose his fight with cancer? Hadn't seen him for a long time, so I had to wonder. I was having lunch with my Mom Friday at a Quizno's sandwich shop downtown and I swore I saw Gabe walk by outside. Nah. Couldn't be. Could it? I haven't seen him in almost a year. Couldn't be. So we run into him at the Memorial service on Friday night. Sure enough. It was him. And he was back today on our corner. Telling me he knew that God had a purpose for him and helping his buddy who is confined to a wheelchair. It was good to see him again. And Wolf was back. We met Wolf early on and saw him weekly for a while. Helped him move a couple of times from shelters to apartments to motel rooms to apartments to rooming houses. Big dude. Easy 6'5" and maybe a biscuit shy of 300 pounds. Good guy. Good to see him again. Working regularly and living on the outskirts of Omaha. Doing well. Was good to see him also. Nice to see him come back and pay us a visit.

Our friend Mark had to be taken away in an ambulance today. Not sure what happened. Someone called me over and he was already down. Looked like he had a seizure or something…not sure. He wasn't really sure where he was. I leaned down to try to see if I could do anything as Robin was trying to get through one her phone to get help. Mark was in pretty rough shape. Been drinking. But he did recognize me. He started to cry when I asked if I could do anything. He mentioned his wife, Pamela. And cried some more. It was really weird. And sad. I prayed with him there and he got it. He pointed up and said He was with us. And He was. They took Mark off in an ambulance…

I met Denise today for the first time. She already knew me somehow. Denise is an African American woman. If I were to guess, I'd say in her 50s? A victim of domestic violence. And apparently she has a bit of a drinking problem. Her face was pretty disfigured. From beatings I guess. How does that happen? I just don't understand. I must have called 7 or 8 different shelters to see if she could get a place to stay. No room. Worked the phone off and on the entire time we were on that corner today. At one point it wasn't looking good. I told her so. She broke down. I told her it wasn't over yet. We'd keep trying. Finally I found someone at the Lydia House and they had an opening. She told me she'd been there before. In the program. But she didn't understand that "Bible stuff". Then when I told her that she was in? Her response? God is good. I told her she did understand that Bible stuff. She laughed and said it again. God is good. She was in rough shape. I hope she makes it. God willing, she'll make it. He is good. :)

Something really cool is beginning to happen on that corner. Others are starting to take more and more ownership of this ministry. I think we served 171 meals today. On a January day in the middle of downtown Omaha, God blessed us with 171 meals. With that comes the need for people to help serve. God sends 'em. And when they take ownership and do His work, it is amazing. Every single thing that happens on that corner is His doing. We had a couple show up a few months ago. They are trying to get back on their feet. Trying to make a go of it. Another couple that has been instrumental in making this ministry go has taken them under their wing and I am amazed at how God is working there. We just have to be available and He will absolutely use us. And when He does, the results are usually pretty remarkable. I spent a few minutes talking to another fellow who has been bringing his family down to help recently. He also is in. Cooked this week. And wants to do more. There's plenty to do. I can't wait to see how God uses these folks. He is truly amazing.

So my dash is being spent presently on a street corner in downtown Omaha. There, we get to spend a few hours each Sunday in the open air confines of Gods greatness. With a couple hundred of our newest friends and family. In His fellowship. What a great opportunity! To think that God would bring us all together under the guise of us ministering to them? Ha! I think it definitely works both ways mostly. And it never seems like work. I was in our garage at 8:00 a.m. this morning, listening to good worship music, praying over all the stuff we get to bring to our friends and loading the trailer with all the donations that are beginning to make our garage look like a mini thrift store. We parked the trailer at around 3:30 this afternoon in its parking spot on the side of our garage. The day just happens. The dash is just that. A dash in time. I cannot believe how blessed my family is. What a deal! What a day! What a dash I'm living!

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

..."it matters to that one"... :)