Woke up this morning to the first snow of the year. Now for me, that means getting my head around the change that is most definitely upon us. The need for all the winter gear, the need for a good, hot meal, all the things that a person needs at this time of year that might not be readily available otherwise. Now I’m not saying that we have all the things a guy needs and that it is readily available, but God usually provides. In some of the most amazing ways. What he provided this morning was a gentle reminder that we are in Nebraska and that even though it’s still November, winter is here. Like it or not. This will be our third winter downtown, and it kind of sneaks up on me every time. It’s not like I don’t know it’s coming, but maybe I just push it to the back of my mind. You know, out of sight, out of mind? And then the reality of it all hits. In a white blanket that covers everything outside. And the inevitable questions arise. Will we be able to get the trailer up our hill? Will we have enough coats for everyone? Will we have enough hot food for everyone? Will we…? And those are all questions from Robin! Just kidding Robbo. :) Because I don’t worry about any of those things. Don’t have to. We have the ultimate planning agent in charge of everything. And it ain’t us. And that’s a good thing, because left t my own devices, the trailer would end up in a ditch, the coats would all be extra-small, and the food would be iced soup. So even though I saw an unexpected snowfall this morning and it was very pretty (from the inside of our nice, warm house), I know that we needn’t worry about the small stuff. He’s got us covered. One thing it did reinforce for me is that we have friends "living" outside. In the elements. In that pretty blanket of snow. Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up to a fresh blanket of snow? On your sleeping bag?
Robin and I attended a memorial service this week. I absolutely do not like attending these things under any circumstances. One thing I never dreamed would happen, simply because I apparently had no vision of these things, was that one day we’d be attending memorial services for fellows we’d met in the park. Never imagined, when we started visiting with our friends, that we’d be in those situations. I just thought we’d show up, have a little lunch, provide whatever material things that God might bless us with and then head our separate ways. But a funny thing happened on our way downtown. We became somewhat intertwined with these folks. I see our friends all the time during my workdays. I might run into someone in Starbucks attempting to warm up. Might happen upon someone just anywhere at anytime. But we know ‘em now. And when tragedy strikes or the inevitable happens, we attend whatever services occur. So earlier this past week, we attended Alan’s memorial service. Alan was a very hard alcoholic but a very gentle man. That’s the only way I can describe him. He was just a mess. But deep inside that apparent exterior lurked a warm, caring soul. A fellow with a degree in architecture. And various other life skills. So what happened to Alan along the way? What happened to this guy that would cause him to literally drink his life away? Just more questions with no obvious answers. It was so weird for me to listen to this priest speak of Alan’s life. We knew him for a couple of years. There were 45 other years before we met him where he was someone’s brother, son, father, etc. He left a young son behind. And a family. We met them at the service. Maybe just God’s way of telling us that all of our friends belong to someone. I don’t know. Just random thoughts around this crazy nonsensical passing of a good friend. Rest in peace Alan. We will indeed miss you buddy.
So today was a great day downtown. Cold, windy, a little raw, but it is the last day of November and it is Nebraska. I guess it’s expected. Something really cool happened down there today. As much as I’d like to share details, it really doesn’t matter in the big picture. A need was presented. A huge need. And in all of God’s unbelievable wisdom, he was already working on the solution. He hasn’t revealed the entire solution to us yet, or at least I don’t think He has. Or maybe He has. But He has surely started. In a big, big way. I drove home today in stunned disbelief. And yet it was so easy to believe. But things like this just don’t happen. As least not in my lifetime. At least not to this doubting individual. I mean, I believe. With all my heart. But the human side of me always wants to throw a little doubt into every situation. I know that God is in complete control. And I know I say often that I simply have to stay out of the way and let God drive. And things happen like the simple transaction that took place today and my face is blown away once again. I cannot even put into words how this thing has strengthened my faith and resolve. You know the old thing about wanting God to hit us upside the head with a 2 by 4 to show us whatever? Well he does it sometimes very subtly, but very directly. And he did it today. Like I said, the details are extremely cool. But I’m not sure I could even share them. Suffice it to say that God is simply amazing and I am in total awe of His sovereignty, His Grace, His Mercy and of course His Love. I can’t wait to see how this one unfolds. Unbelievable, and yet so believable. So God. And all we had to do was show up today and watch God work. Man does He do amazing things. And I always wonder why He chooses a dirty, cold street corner in downtown Omaha to do these things. Obviously, He does these things all over the place, but we are able to witness them first hand on a rather continual basis. Wow…
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
What’s the Answer?
I’ll try to keep this short this week. Had a busy couple of days. I spent all day yesterday loading, unloading and stacking firewood. Free firewood. Thanks to some very good friends of ours. And Christian and Nick were with me all the way. And then Christian and I spent the afternoon getting the outside of our house ready for the holidays. And then I spent a couple of hours in the garage sorting through winter clothing for our friends. And through it all I realize how incredibly blessed and fortunate I am. I mean just doing the Christmas decorations with Christian was very cool in and of itself. He is becoming such a great young man. Now he is still 14, so he does do things that 14 year old young men do. But he gets it. And his help literally cut my time in half yesterday. I think sometimes as we try to navigate this thing that is raising and parenting kids, especially as we go through things for the first time with our oldest kids, we think that things might always have a degree of difficulty to them. And they will. And there’s the thought that we may never get a break from some of the everyday stuff that goes with the territory. But yesterday proved otherwise for me. And Christian and I spent an evening serving at Life on the Brick recently also. Robin cooks once a month for this weekly Monday dinner at Mosaic Community Development. It’s a lot of the same people we see on Sundays, so it’s a pretty natural thing for us. And last week Robin was sick, but she still cooked. So Christian and I took the food and helped serve. It’s a totally different thing for me because I actually get to serve food to our friends. And on this particular night I had the opportunity to serve alongside my oldest son. And I hope and pray that the example Robin and I are setting for our kids is that we all need to serve. In some way, shape or form. So yesterday was a great day for me also. Tiring and I’m a little sore today, but it was good to be able to spend that much quality time with them.
Today was a pretty ordinary day for us downtown. That is if there is anything at all ordinary about what happens downtown on a given Sunday. Lots of food. Lots of people. Lots of clothing. Which brings me to an interesting point. I pray constantly that God will continue to bless us with all the resources we need to keep going. You know that thing about being careful what we pray for? You know the one that mentions how we might just get what we ask for? Well, that had been happening in abundance for us lately. Take today for instance. Pretty normal deal for us today. We get downtown. Lots of people waiting and as soon as we get out of the van, a line of people are waiting to help unload and get set up. As fast as I can hand stuff out, there are hands waiting to take it all to the serving area. So the trailer is now half empty, with about 20 or so bins of clothing waiting to come out after the meal is served. After we begin serving, I’m doing my usual schmoozing through the line just saying hi to everyone and a fellow asks me for a stocking cap. Sure, I tell him I’ll get him one and be right back. I go to the back of the trailer where I know there is a tub of hats and gloves and open it up to find bags and bags of clothing are literally falling out of the trailer. The folks from River of Life have come today with enough clothing to refill the trailer! On top of what we’ve already brought down. What a great problem to have! And this sort of thing just keeps happening. Over and over. What an amazing ministry God has blessed us with. He has literally taken the burden of finding stuff for our friends away and has simply sent people to help that only He could send. It is nothing short of amazing. And that is just one little iota of what happens down there on Sundays. There are conversations happening all around. Acts of kindness and love taking place all around. People feeding and people being fed. In more ways that I could ever have imagined with my feeble mind. I sit here and think what it must look like to the people who live in the downtown community? In the high rise condos and apartments that seem to be sprouting up all over the place. What must this weekly gathering/event look like? To those who walk by briskly on their way to the Performing Arts Center just around the corner to catch an afternoon show? What must it look like to the city workers who have been showing up lately to remove the trash? They come every week now and set out trash cans for us. Now we don’t have to trek the block down the alley with 5 or 6 big trash bags. They do it for us. What does this thing look like to them? What does it look like when all these people show up from literally all corners of the city to help our friends in need?
I tell you what I hope it looks like.
Love.
So obviously, Love is the Answer.
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. "This I command you, that you love one another." John 15:16-17
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Today was a pretty ordinary day for us downtown. That is if there is anything at all ordinary about what happens downtown on a given Sunday. Lots of food. Lots of people. Lots of clothing. Which brings me to an interesting point. I pray constantly that God will continue to bless us with all the resources we need to keep going. You know that thing about being careful what we pray for? You know the one that mentions how we might just get what we ask for? Well, that had been happening in abundance for us lately. Take today for instance. Pretty normal deal for us today. We get downtown. Lots of people waiting and as soon as we get out of the van, a line of people are waiting to help unload and get set up. As fast as I can hand stuff out, there are hands waiting to take it all to the serving area. So the trailer is now half empty, with about 20 or so bins of clothing waiting to come out after the meal is served. After we begin serving, I’m doing my usual schmoozing through the line just saying hi to everyone and a fellow asks me for a stocking cap. Sure, I tell him I’ll get him one and be right back. I go to the back of the trailer where I know there is a tub of hats and gloves and open it up to find bags and bags of clothing are literally falling out of the trailer. The folks from River of Life have come today with enough clothing to refill the trailer! On top of what we’ve already brought down. What a great problem to have! And this sort of thing just keeps happening. Over and over. What an amazing ministry God has blessed us with. He has literally taken the burden of finding stuff for our friends away and has simply sent people to help that only He could send. It is nothing short of amazing. And that is just one little iota of what happens down there on Sundays. There are conversations happening all around. Acts of kindness and love taking place all around. People feeding and people being fed. In more ways that I could ever have imagined with my feeble mind. I sit here and think what it must look like to the people who live in the downtown community? In the high rise condos and apartments that seem to be sprouting up all over the place. What must this weekly gathering/event look like? To those who walk by briskly on their way to the Performing Arts Center just around the corner to catch an afternoon show? What must it look like to the city workers who have been showing up lately to remove the trash? They come every week now and set out trash cans for us. Now we don’t have to trek the block down the alley with 5 or 6 big trash bags. They do it for us. What does this thing look like to them? What does it look like when all these people show up from literally all corners of the city to help our friends in need?
I tell you what I hope it looks like.
Love.
So obviously, Love is the Answer.
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. "This I command you, that you love one another." John 15:16-17
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
And yet another friend has left us…
Found out today that another of our friends left us this week. 47 years young. 47 years. And at the very least, the last two years that we’ve known Alan, I’d guess the majority of his time was spent in a bit of a haze. I just cannot fathom how a guy lives the way some of our friends live. I know I’ve mentioned that here before many times, but every time something like this happens, I have to wonder why? I mean that is a natural reaction. If I’m being totally honest, I was very surprised to hear of Alan’s passing, but then again I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised. I mean, every time I saw him recently, he was not in the best of shape. Very frail. Not eating. I’d guess his internal organs were a mess. You see, some of the guys we know will simply drink whatever they can get their hands on and in some cases it is a pretty bizarre and very dangerous variety. There’s your customary Vodka and whatever other "legal" liquors. And then there are those fellows that belong to the 151 club. You know what a bottle of mouthwash costs at the Family Dollar store? $1.51. One dollar and fifty one cents. See the correlation? I don’t think there is an official 151 club by any means. But someone mentioned the term to us a long time ago. And I see our friends with the big family bottles on occasion. Last week I saw a fellow in the serving line with a bottle in his trench coat pocket. I jokingly asked if I could take that for him. He jokingly said "not without a fight". I wasn’t really joking. Neither was he. You see, it pains me to see these guys like this. Alan was only 47 years old! I just don’t get it. It’s obviously not something we can solve. I don’t have any misconceived ideas that we can do anything. In fact, I know from my own experiences, a guy has to want to quit and even then, well it’s a battle.
Apparently, Alan was at a friend’s apartment and had a massive heart attack around 1:00 in the afternoon this past Tuesday. His buddy called the appropriate authorities, but nothing could be done. I know he hasn’t been eating much for a while now. I can only imagine what mouthwash and other generic hygiene items that contain varying degrees of alcohol do to a guy’s internal organs. I’m sure it isn’t good. So we knew for a while that he wasn’t eating. And frankly I can’t remember the last time I saw him. It’s been a while. But he was a good guy and we’ll miss him greatly. Yet another example of a guy who fell through the cracks. I tried to find any information I could on the internet and found nothing. No obituary. No article. Nothing. Not a word. So another one of our friends is gone. Without a trace. I pray that his family here in town was able to find peace in this situation.
On the other side of this, I ran into another fellow today that is hanging in there with 2 months of sobriety. I saw him just after we started serving. Shortly after we prayed for Alan. And for Margie. Margie’s son-in-law was killed last week in Afghanistan. Margie is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. She’s been helping us cook downtown for quite a while now. She works with me at UP. I put a few weekly want ads on the UP electronic bulletin board weekly looking for cooks, coats, and whatever. I’ll never forget Margie calling me way back and offering to cook. She has such a great disposition and is so willing to help. God has sent some warriors to us to help in this thing and Margie fits that nicely. And her faith is so strong. I have so much admiration for her and all those that help. It has been such a blessing to get to know her. And this week we got notice that her son-in-law was involved in a tragedy. And I felt so bad for her. Again, more of those things that you just can’t make sense of. So when my friend comes to me today to tell me of his 2 month sobriety anniversary, I was so thankful. From a selfish standpoint, it was just nice to have a bit of good news. And in light of what happened with Alan, anyone celebrating a bit of sobriety is goodness.
So Christian, our 30 year old 14 year old son (that makes sense, but only if you know Christian) drops this little nugget on me this morning. He spent the night with one of his buddies last night and they went to a Saturday service at Glad Tidings Church. The pastor gave them a definition of ministry. It was this – Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God. I think the definition came from Warren Wiersbe. The point for me was that this sums it up pretty good for this little thing we do every week. Talk about divine resources? My gosh, I’ve seen things happen in two years on that downtown street corner that have just been amazing and can only have been orchestrated by God. Are we meeting human needs? We’re surely trying. And by the grace of God, we’ll keep on trying. Are we going through loving channels? I hope so. I think so. Robin probably more so than me. She so gets the compassion thing. And she was home sick today. She was so definitely missed. Especially when we were looking for a ladle to serve the soup! :) And most importantly, are we doing it to give glory to God. Absolutely. That’s one area that I’m sure of. Because I try over and over, probably to a fault, to let our friends know that no way would any of this be possible without God. None of it.
So in all of it today, I feel like God’s presence was abundant. It always is. The kids from St. Vincent DePaul were back. And they brought hundreds of socks, coats and all kind of other stuff. Organized and gathered by them for our friends. What an amazing testimony. And the cold weather, I mean the really cold weather held off. It was cold, but it was North Carolina cold. Not even close to Nebraska cold yet. That’s coming. The Lord willing, we’ll hang in there. If you are reading this and you don’t mind doing so, could you say a prayer for Margie’s family? And for Alan’s family? And that my friend would stay the course of his sobriety? And for this crazy ministry.
Rest in peace Alan. We'll miss you buddy...
"So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'" Luke 17:10
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Apparently, Alan was at a friend’s apartment and had a massive heart attack around 1:00 in the afternoon this past Tuesday. His buddy called the appropriate authorities, but nothing could be done. I know he hasn’t been eating much for a while now. I can only imagine what mouthwash and other generic hygiene items that contain varying degrees of alcohol do to a guy’s internal organs. I’m sure it isn’t good. So we knew for a while that he wasn’t eating. And frankly I can’t remember the last time I saw him. It’s been a while. But he was a good guy and we’ll miss him greatly. Yet another example of a guy who fell through the cracks. I tried to find any information I could on the internet and found nothing. No obituary. No article. Nothing. Not a word. So another one of our friends is gone. Without a trace. I pray that his family here in town was able to find peace in this situation.
On the other side of this, I ran into another fellow today that is hanging in there with 2 months of sobriety. I saw him just after we started serving. Shortly after we prayed for Alan. And for Margie. Margie’s son-in-law was killed last week in Afghanistan. Margie is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. She’s been helping us cook downtown for quite a while now. She works with me at UP. I put a few weekly want ads on the UP electronic bulletin board weekly looking for cooks, coats, and whatever. I’ll never forget Margie calling me way back and offering to cook. She has such a great disposition and is so willing to help. God has sent some warriors to us to help in this thing and Margie fits that nicely. And her faith is so strong. I have so much admiration for her and all those that help. It has been such a blessing to get to know her. And this week we got notice that her son-in-law was involved in a tragedy. And I felt so bad for her. Again, more of those things that you just can’t make sense of. So when my friend comes to me today to tell me of his 2 month sobriety anniversary, I was so thankful. From a selfish standpoint, it was just nice to have a bit of good news. And in light of what happened with Alan, anyone celebrating a bit of sobriety is goodness.
So Christian, our 30 year old 14 year old son (that makes sense, but only if you know Christian) drops this little nugget on me this morning. He spent the night with one of his buddies last night and they went to a Saturday service at Glad Tidings Church. The pastor gave them a definition of ministry. It was this – Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God. I think the definition came from Warren Wiersbe. The point for me was that this sums it up pretty good for this little thing we do every week. Talk about divine resources? My gosh, I’ve seen things happen in two years on that downtown street corner that have just been amazing and can only have been orchestrated by God. Are we meeting human needs? We’re surely trying. And by the grace of God, we’ll keep on trying. Are we going through loving channels? I hope so. I think so. Robin probably more so than me. She so gets the compassion thing. And she was home sick today. She was so definitely missed. Especially when we were looking for a ladle to serve the soup! :) And most importantly, are we doing it to give glory to God. Absolutely. That’s one area that I’m sure of. Because I try over and over, probably to a fault, to let our friends know that no way would any of this be possible without God. None of it.
So in all of it today, I feel like God’s presence was abundant. It always is. The kids from St. Vincent DePaul were back. And they brought hundreds of socks, coats and all kind of other stuff. Organized and gathered by them for our friends. What an amazing testimony. And the cold weather, I mean the really cold weather held off. It was cold, but it was North Carolina cold. Not even close to Nebraska cold yet. That’s coming. The Lord willing, we’ll hang in there. If you are reading this and you don’t mind doing so, could you say a prayer for Margie’s family? And for Alan’s family? And that my friend would stay the course of his sobriety? And for this crazy ministry.
Rest in peace Alan. We'll miss you buddy...
"So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'" Luke 17:10
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Two Years? Are you kidding me?!!
So you know what we did today? We took a big old family picture. That’s right. After everyone had enough to eat, we all gathered on the steps of the Gene Leahy Mall and took a picture. The thought came to me this morning that we should do it. We did. I wanted every single individual on that corner to be in the picture. Lot’s of folks declined for various reasons. But lots of folks were more than willing to be a part. That was pretty cool. And it just reminded me that we’ve become a part of these people’s lives in some small way. That they accept us. And that is cool. Because they are us and we are them. Not to get all deep and philosophical here, but we are just no different. I’ve mentioned that before so many times, but it is so true. Two years ago? Maybe I thought differently. Now? Not so much. Two years ago I probably thought we were helping them. Now? It’s probably more the other way around.
In two years we seen friends come and go. I mentioned last week that Wade’s family came to help. What an amazing day. And today? A youth group from the Friendship Center drove in from Beaver City, Nebraska to help. You know how far Beaver City is from Omaha? 4 hours. And yet they came to help. They heard about this thing because of Wade’s death. So today they came. And entertained with a skit that showed us all how Christ takes our burdens and carries them for us. I stood next to Sammy as I watched the skit. Sammy was a former Golden Gloves boxing champion in our fine state. Today? He’s in various states of homelessness. And he lost his mother recently. Taking it hard, as can be expected. Great guy and just one example of the great people we’ve had the opportunity to come to know. It’s just been an amazing experience to be able to go down week in and week out and see the way God works through us all in this thing. He is an amazing God and it absolutely blows me away that He uses a dirty street corner in downtown Omaha to reach those of us that need Him most. And believe me, I need Him more than most. So maybe people see us coming and think that we are pastors or whatever. Little do they know I’m simply a busted, broken individual who is simply looking for some answers. And I do believe that is exactly how God wants us to come to Him. Broken. Busted. And in need. I was talking to a guy that mentioned to me how God had abandoned him. I had to tell him emphatically that God will never turn His back on us. Never. WE are the ones who do that. And yet, every single time we turn back, guess Who is waiting with open arms? I sometimes wonder why God would use us, especially me, in this ministry. Because my life has hardly been a testament to my faith. That’s for sure. I guess it simply lends credence to the fact that, as Robin is quick to say, He will use us wherever we are. When we moved back from Charlotte a couple of years ago, I was sure that He had a plan for us. Apparently He did. And He is using us in such a way that allows us to honor and glorify Him each and every week.
I know some people probably think we are crazy. And we are. For lots of reasons. I mean we are heading into the meat of winter here in Nebraska. And this is an outdoor ministry. So therefore, by default, we must be crazy. But man is this a good crazy! I can’t imagine doing anything different. I can’t imagine that day that I finally stand before God only to hear Him say "what were you thinking man…you totally missed it!" Now I’m not for one minute saying that I get it. Because I don’t. Mostly anyway. But one thing I’ve learned, among lots of others, is that He is full on in control. Totally and completely. For two years now, He’s been the sole and complete reason for us doing what we do. And I can’t imagine doing it any differently. I remember last winter thinking it was absolutely never going to get warm again. Global warming? Try six months of Nebraska winter and then tell me you think the earth is warming! Seriously, I thought it would never end. And here we are heading into another. And that’s ok. Not if you ask Robin, but it is what it is. It’s coming whether we are on board or not. Same thing with the work God is doing downtown. It’s happening. And we are on board. Fully.
So two years have come and gone. We’ve seen sadness with some of our friends leaving us way too early. We’ve seen friendships develop. Great friendships. And we’ve seen God work in great, great ways. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? All I know is I can’t wait to find out. God willing. And I pray that God will allow us to continue to go out and be the hands and feet of our Savior. In a real and tangible way. And that he will continue to bless us and those we serve in ways that are clearly of His doing. Two years? Whodathunkit?
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The other side of homelessness...
I met an amazing family today. I hope they don’t mind that I use their names here, but to tell the story, I kind of have to. I met Mom, Twin Sister, Twin Sister’s Husband, Daughter 1, Daughter 2, Daughter 3 and Son. Oh, and Granddaughter. They came from Kansas, Lincoln and Kearney I believe. And they came to see what it was all about. This thing that God orchestrates every single Sunday on a downtown street corner in Omaha, Nebraska. I hope I’m not out of line writing this here, but I believe it was also a bit about closure. To a degree anyway. At least it would be for me. If my brother or father or son or grandfather spent some of his last months, weeks, days or hours with this group that gathers here each week. I’d like to think I know why they came. But the reasons have to be so vast and different, that I’m pretty sure I’d screw it up if I tried to list the reasons. I think, if you boil it all down, they simply wanted to see. To maybe get an idea of what it was like for this person that left us way too early. Way too early. I’ve written about this deal several times. And I’ve seen it play out several times over the past couple of years. Most recently, Papa Smurf left us. I knew this fellow as well as you can get to know someone within a couple hour time span once a week. Never did get his real name. Pretty sure it wasn’t Papa Smurf. And Bobby McGee was shortly before that. Can’t write or say his name without getting the Janis Joplin song stuck in my head. And now he’s gone. And Doug Etter. And The list goes on. And these are guys that I really believe fall through the cracks. They don’t have to leave us like this. Do they? What’s the deal? And then of course, there’s Wade. Like I said, I wrote a couple of times about Wade a few months ago. Camping on the old Beach at Lake Manawa State Park. I’ve heard several different stories about what happened with Wade. But however it happened, I keep asking myself why? And of course there is absolute silence. Because I don’t think we ever really find out why. At least not in this lifetime.
So today, Fay, Wendy, Bill, Lacey, Heather, Jordon, Isaac, and beautiful little Aza (that’s AAAAAAAAAAAAAA……ZZZZZZZ…AAAAAAA for those wondering how she spells it :) came to visit. I think I got the names right and to be honest I had to go back and re-read a few of the comments they posted on a blog site that I put this on. I had to go back. And when I did, I read some of those comments through tears. It just brought it all back to the forefront for me. Because it’s like this…all these guys we see downtown for that brief time on Sunday? They all belong to someone. And they ALL have a story as unique as you can imagine. But they all belong to someone. And Wade belonged to this family. And this story, for me anyway, just keeps growing. I feel like I know Wade so much better now than I did when he was with us. An in fact I do. I’ve found out what a great chef he was. What a great son he was. What a great brother he was. What a great father he was. What a great grandfather he was. And what a great friend he was. Now I’d be remiss if I painted this rosy picture. Because it wasn’t all goodness in the end for Wade. But it was what it was. And he left quite a legacy. I saw it first hand today. 3 incredibly beautiful daughters. A great looking son. A beautiful twin sister. A wonderful mother. An amazing little granddaughter. I met them all today. As I stood on the wall to make a few quick announcements, not the least of which was that St. James Untied Methodist Church from Bellevue cooked the entire meal today, I mentioned that everyone needed to be aware of the greatness that is God’s unbelievable faithfulness. That he provides us with all this each and every week. That he is the one and only reason we are able to so this with any sustenance each week. As I mentioned these things, I also mentioned that we had a few special visitors this week. And as I looked back to where Wendy was standing and I saw her tears, I choked up. I have to tell you, this thing we do each week is in my blood now. We are coming up on an anniversary of sorts. Next week will mark year two of this journey. And in that time, some pretty amazing things have happened. And I just sense God preparing us for even bigger things yet. I have no idea what that means. But I sense it. And better yet, I see things happening each week that make it so much more than a meal. So much more than a few items of clothing and hygiene items. So much more than I could have imagined two years ago when we first set off on this thing.
And today He brought us together with a family that lost one of theirs recently. Full circle if you will. And it was an amazing meeting for me. They were so grateful that we would go down and do this. I'd be crazy not to. I am so blessed to be able to go every week. I simply cannot imagine our lives without it. It’s become a fixture. And the people we come in contact with are the reason. Look, anyone can set out a meal. But when you do it in the name of God, it becomes an event and I only hope we are doing it justice in His name. That He smiles when he sees the tables coming out of the trailer each week. I pray that none of our friends ever has to leave us in this manner again. I pray that some Sunday we’ll show up and no one will be there. I can’t imagine that happening, but maybe someday it will. That all of our friends will have their own place, with all the food they need and enough to share with others. I pray that when I meet a family like the one I met today, it will be for all the good reasons.
It’s funny. I can almost guarantee that I would never have met these folks if Wade was still here. But he’s not. And today God blessed me with the other side of homelessness. The real side. The side that tells the story. What a painful, bittersweet day it must have been for them. I felt like I just wanted to spend the entire day with them. But I also wanted to stay back and just let them kind of figure things out. That’s probably what I would have wanted. So many questions. So few answers. But the bottom line here for me is that God’s grace is sufficient. Doesn’t make it easy. But it is the only way I can reconcile things.
Thanks to Wade’s family for coming today. Thanks to Wendy for bringing enough cookies from her bake shop to feed an army. Thanks to the folks at St. James for all their incredible efforts. And to all the folks who come every single week to help. Thanks for making it a wonderful day. At least as wonderful as it could be given the circumstances. As we said our goodbyes today, I couldn’t help but think what an amazing God we serve. Wade’s family was heading home. But not before a trip to the Old Beach at Lake Manawa. One final bit of closure I suppose. A few of Wade’s friends were going with. I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been. My prayers are with them as they try to deal with this.
This is from a devotional I read recently. It obviously reminded me of the first time I heard the starfish story…
********
Too often we do not allow ourselves to be used by God in practical means. This reminds me of a story I once heard: A boy had gone down to the seashore following a great storm. There lying on the beach, washed up by the giant surf were hundreds and thousands of starfish, all of which were dying. The boy ran down to the shore and began picking them up one at a time and throwing them back into the water. A man came along and asked, "Boy, what are you doing?" The boy answered simply, "Saving starfish!" The man was shocked and responded, "You've got to be kidding, there are far too many, you can't hope to make a difference." The boy held a starfish in his hand and threw it back into the ocean as he said, "I made a difference for that one!"
********
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Whatever you do, make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
So today, Fay, Wendy, Bill, Lacey, Heather, Jordon, Isaac, and beautiful little Aza (that’s AAAAAAAAAAAAAA……ZZZZZZZ…AAAAAAA for those wondering how she spells it :) came to visit. I think I got the names right and to be honest I had to go back and re-read a few of the comments they posted on a blog site that I put this on. I had to go back. And when I did, I read some of those comments through tears. It just brought it all back to the forefront for me. Because it’s like this…all these guys we see downtown for that brief time on Sunday? They all belong to someone. And they ALL have a story as unique as you can imagine. But they all belong to someone. And Wade belonged to this family. And this story, for me anyway, just keeps growing. I feel like I know Wade so much better now than I did when he was with us. An in fact I do. I’ve found out what a great chef he was. What a great son he was. What a great brother he was. What a great father he was. What a great grandfather he was. And what a great friend he was. Now I’d be remiss if I painted this rosy picture. Because it wasn’t all goodness in the end for Wade. But it was what it was. And he left quite a legacy. I saw it first hand today. 3 incredibly beautiful daughters. A great looking son. A beautiful twin sister. A wonderful mother. An amazing little granddaughter. I met them all today. As I stood on the wall to make a few quick announcements, not the least of which was that St. James Untied Methodist Church from Bellevue cooked the entire meal today, I mentioned that everyone needed to be aware of the greatness that is God’s unbelievable faithfulness. That he provides us with all this each and every week. That he is the one and only reason we are able to so this with any sustenance each week. As I mentioned these things, I also mentioned that we had a few special visitors this week. And as I looked back to where Wendy was standing and I saw her tears, I choked up. I have to tell you, this thing we do each week is in my blood now. We are coming up on an anniversary of sorts. Next week will mark year two of this journey. And in that time, some pretty amazing things have happened. And I just sense God preparing us for even bigger things yet. I have no idea what that means. But I sense it. And better yet, I see things happening each week that make it so much more than a meal. So much more than a few items of clothing and hygiene items. So much more than I could have imagined two years ago when we first set off on this thing.
And today He brought us together with a family that lost one of theirs recently. Full circle if you will. And it was an amazing meeting for me. They were so grateful that we would go down and do this. I'd be crazy not to. I am so blessed to be able to go every week. I simply cannot imagine our lives without it. It’s become a fixture. And the people we come in contact with are the reason. Look, anyone can set out a meal. But when you do it in the name of God, it becomes an event and I only hope we are doing it justice in His name. That He smiles when he sees the tables coming out of the trailer each week. I pray that none of our friends ever has to leave us in this manner again. I pray that some Sunday we’ll show up and no one will be there. I can’t imagine that happening, but maybe someday it will. That all of our friends will have their own place, with all the food they need and enough to share with others. I pray that when I meet a family like the one I met today, it will be for all the good reasons.
It’s funny. I can almost guarantee that I would never have met these folks if Wade was still here. But he’s not. And today God blessed me with the other side of homelessness. The real side. The side that tells the story. What a painful, bittersweet day it must have been for them. I felt like I just wanted to spend the entire day with them. But I also wanted to stay back and just let them kind of figure things out. That’s probably what I would have wanted. So many questions. So few answers. But the bottom line here for me is that God’s grace is sufficient. Doesn’t make it easy. But it is the only way I can reconcile things.
Thanks to Wade’s family for coming today. Thanks to Wendy for bringing enough cookies from her bake shop to feed an army. Thanks to the folks at St. James for all their incredible efforts. And to all the folks who come every single week to help. Thanks for making it a wonderful day. At least as wonderful as it could be given the circumstances. As we said our goodbyes today, I couldn’t help but think what an amazing God we serve. Wade’s family was heading home. But not before a trip to the Old Beach at Lake Manawa. One final bit of closure I suppose. A few of Wade’s friends were going with. I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been. My prayers are with them as they try to deal with this.
This is from a devotional I read recently. It obviously reminded me of the first time I heard the starfish story…
********
Too often we do not allow ourselves to be used by God in practical means. This reminds me of a story I once heard: A boy had gone down to the seashore following a great storm. There lying on the beach, washed up by the giant surf were hundreds and thousands of starfish, all of which were dying. The boy ran down to the shore and began picking them up one at a time and throwing them back into the water. A man came along and asked, "Boy, what are you doing?" The boy answered simply, "Saving starfish!" The man was shocked and responded, "You've got to be kidding, there are far too many, you can't hope to make a difference." The boy held a starfish in his hand and threw it back into the ocean as he said, "I made a difference for that one!"
********
Peace and have a great and blessed week.
Whatever you do, make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
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