A little off kilter…

This morning was nothing short of craziness. And that was just the morning. The getting ready part of our day. Seemed like everything was just a little off kilter. We had 4 young middle school kids, along with our kids, completing time for a school service project, so just adding that much juvenile testosterone to the mix was fairly chaotic. It was a good chaos, but chaos nonetheless. And we even had the advantage of a Home School group doing the cooking for us. We never know how that is going to work out, especially when a group is venturing in for the first time. It’s so difficult in our earthly ways to sometimes let go of the controls and let God handle the details. Even when we know he’ll always get them right. Why is that? Because we’re human? It’s still a pretty lame excuse. So we had that on our mind. And once again, I maybe wasn’t quite on my game. Whatever my game looks like. But I just wasn’t on top of things. My Dad went back in the hospital last week. He’s now in long term care. He’s 75. The admitting ER doctor told him he was dying. Why would she tell him that? That he had some difficult decisions to make? He thinks he’s going to be ok. His cardiologist thinks he’ll get out of it also. His heart is working at around 12-15 %. That doesn’t sound ok to me. So that was on my mind among other things. But the show must go on…

So we get part way downtown and we realize that we forgot the Paninis. Those great sandwiches we get on Saturday nights from Panera Bread. We usually get enough of them to hand out to guys who show up late and for the campers. Those guys maybe can’t handle the stress and chaos of the shelter. The fellows who spend their nights under bridges, in tents, etc. So they have something to eat later. So Robin had to go back and get them. So she was going to be behind the eight ball from Jump Street. She usually gets the serving tables set up, so guess who that fell to? Yep, yours truly. So we get there and when we pull up, I’m thinking to myself…”self, are we going to have enough?” The throng of people stretched down the sidewalk for a long ways. And we depended totally on a group that had never previously cooked for our friends. We told them to prepare for 150 or so, but there had to be a couple hundred people. It so hard to know how many to prepare for, especially this time of year. We are in a bit of a spring transition and it’s just hard to know. So everything that seemingly could work against us was doing just that. But of course, we had God on our side. It never ceases to amaze me how He is so faithful and He always provides. We have never once run short on food for our friends. I always tell a guy if he gets there at noon, he’ll get a good meal. You show up at 2:00? All bets are off. And today? We were wiped out. From the moment I got out of the van, we were on the run. Seemed like it anyway. And there are always guys that “need to talk to one of us”. Normally the usual suspects. It’s funny…seems like some of the guys think they have an in with us. A guy will need a backpack. A pair of sneakers. Something. And another funny this is when I see a guy that has shed his winter gear. It’s almost as if I have to relearn all the faces and names again. A fellow showed up today that I haven’t seen in probably a year. Mark has been sober now for a year. And looking great. And He was with Dan. Who this week had 104 days of sobriety. Those are the good success stories. And I love it when those guys come and seek me out to tell me how great they are doing. Because it can get overwhelming at times…seeing the same guys show up in the same condition week after week. But to see a guy come back and tell us of his success, that’s goodness. God’s goodness.

I had a chance to pray with a guy beside the van today. Semi private, except the traffic literally buzzing past us. He came to me and asked for prayer. Said he wondered if I would keep him in my prayers for some difficult times he’s facing. Said he had been working, but something happened to his eye, and he was out of work. Was having a difficult time getting work and keeping his place. I said let’s just pray now. He looked around and seemed to feel uncomfortable with the idea of praying right there on the corner in front of a bunch of his friends. Now this guy has to be a good 6’ 6” at least. C’mon man! Be secure in your skin brother! Seriously, I understood exactly where he was coming from. I suggested we go on the other side of the van. We did. And we shared a moment of prayer. For being in that valley. For being in a desert. That I know. I’ve been there myself. And every time I come out? God has something pretty cool waiting for me. And for Joe? I’m thinking if he stays the course, God will have something pretty cool waiting for him. The funny thing was he had been to church this morning. At the Empty Tomb in South Omaha. And he said that the things we prayed about were the exact same things he sang about in worship at church this morning. Amazing how that happens.

So a million and one things happened today. I felt good simply showing up today. I hate when I feel like I’m sub par in our dealings downtown. And I don’t think I came across that way, but I maybe felt it. Because that means that I’m letting stupid humanity get in the way of glorifying God and doing it all for His honor. And that just ain’t good! The nice thing about what God lets us do each week? He lets us show up. And when He lets us show up, good things happen. Because as soon as we arrive on that corner, He is in charge. I know He’s in charge always, at least when I let Him have it all. But for those few hours that we spend with our friends? It’s very apparent that He leads. He is fully in charge. The community that springs up on that corner every week is really an amazing testimony to His greatness. I have to tell you, I’ve just never seen anything like it. And the reason for that is most definitely because He lets it happen. And I tell you, there are many times I ask myself what we are doing. And He answers every single time. We are simply doing what He created us to do.

So thanks so much to the Home School Entrepreneurs group that showed up in an amazing way today. Thanks so much to my wonderful wife, who in spite of her morning panic, puts on a pretty good game face. Thanks to my nephew and his buddies who came and helped greatly this morning. Thanks to all the great volunteers who show up every week and give of their time and talents to help make this crazy thing work. Thanks to all of them. But most importantly, of course, all thanks to God for letting us do this thing each and every week. What an amazing deal we’ve gotten ourselves into. All thanks be to God!

And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:16, NLT

Peace and have a great and blessed week.

…it matters to that one… :)