Wade's Christmas Stockings

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:28 (The Message)

Details. I often find myself, as I’m sure lots of us do, getting caught up in details. How will we…? What if…? When "this" happens, what do we do? Often times I get so far ahead of myself that I’ve created a situation that couldn’t possibly happen, yet I’m already preparing myself for the details of some crazy, fictional situation. One that will most likely never even happen. Have to tell myself not to over think things all the time. Let God handle the details. It’s His plan anyway, right? Why in the world would I think I could manage the outcome of any given event?

A while back, I met a fellow who went by the name of Wade. Now, I’ve written about Wade a few times here because of the significant things that have happened involving Wade. Met him quite a while back. Saw him off and on, as is fairly customary with lots of the people we meet on that downtown corner. And this past summer Wade left us. Had an untimely accident in a lake in Council Bluffs, Ia. Right across the river. And when I heard the news I was shocked. It really bothered me that maybe we hadn’t done enough to try to help Wade. Again, I’m not sure what I think I could have done? But I often wondered what if? So after Wade left us, as God is apt to do, a really strange and very cool thing transpired. God began working in the details. I wrote a blog about his passing. In doing so, I had no idea what was to come. And how his death would impact so many. In so many places. Especially on our downtown street corner. Through it all, I’ve met his family. Lots of them. And they are a great family. They come from hours away to honor their son, their brother, their father, their husband. It’s not like they live right up the street and want to come help. In most cases they literally drive for hours to get here. And yesterday? They came with an abundance. You see, Wade’s niece told me some time back that she wanted to do something to honor her uncle. She wasn’t quite sure, I don’t think anyway, what exactly she wanted to do but she knew she wanted to do something. As if I am in any place to do so, I offered her a simple piece of advice. Whatever you decide to do, pray about it, take the first step or get started and let the Lord lead it. I was just sure if she did that, she’d not have to worry so much about the details. God would indeed provide, as He has for us on so many occasions. I sit back and marvel at how He provides for this ministry, His ministry, on a regular basis. I absolutely cannot believe the amount of stuff in my garage. It’s to the point anymore that I have to decide what to take and what not to take on any given Sunday.

So Wade’s niece, Mercedes, sends me an email saying that she wanted to gather Christmas stockings and distribute them in Wade’s honor. So, as I understand it, she sent out letters and used other means for gathering things to put in the stockings. And people responded. To the tune of 200 stockings. And they decide to bring Wade’s Christmas Stockings yesterday to distribute them to our friends downtown. They show up. With a trailer full of stuff. These weren’t just ordinary Christmas stockings. They had so much stuff that they had to actually make them Christmas bags! Boxes and boxes of things for our friends. For Wade’s friends. And all in the name of Christ. Want an amazing young lady. Gifts for Christ’s birthday, to honor and glorify Him, and all the while bringing it down to a level that our friends downtown could relate to. Lots of them knew Wade. Lots of them now know Wade’s family. And I met his wife yesterday for the first time. I have no idea how difficult this must have been for her? No idea the feelings she must have been experiencing? I only hope that she saw that he didn’t die in vain. I kind of know how she feels. To a degree anyway. I lost my oldest sister to cancer 10 years ago. Anyone who has lost someone close to a sudden death or an unexplained illness knows that it is literally mind numbing to try to explain it or to reason or rationalize it. There simply are no answers. And the old ‘time heals all blah blah blah…" is true to a degree. But we are always left wondering? Why? What if? Again with the details. And there simply are no real answers. Except one. God will absolutely work in the details. If we let Him. For me? My sister’s passing all those years ago brought me to a faith that I’d never known. Watching her witness, especially in the final weeks, days and hours of her life, made it clear to Robin and I that we’d better get our act together. We weren’t necessarily living a bad life. We just weren’t following Christ. We believed. We simply hadn’t taken the next step in the journey.

So yesterday, God worked in the details. Wade’s family showed up. And in doing so, they once again honored his life. But in doing so, they also honored God. This young lady made an impact in ways that probably will never be able to be measured. I think I remember her Mom being somewhat concerned when she first brought the idea to her. It was a big project. I mean 200 stockings? And if it were me, I’d wonder what exactly do we put in these things to make them significant? Again with the details. :) But Mercedes and the rest of Wade’s family made it happen. God blessed it for sure. I’ve seen it happen so many times on that corner. A need is presented and God meets that need. Or someone or a group of someones decides they want to help out in some way and God blesses it. It’s so simple. Yet so profound. I stood and watched the boxes come out of that trailer yesterday and was simply awed at how God does indeed care about even the smallest of details. It was an amazing thing to see. I had someone ask me a few weeks ago if we were going to bring Christmas presents downtown. One Sunday, out of the blue, this person asks me this. I remember kind of laughing and my initial thought was something along the lines of "uh, I don’t think so…how in the world would we supply gifts for that many people". But my response to her was I guess we’d just have to see. And really that was just my safe response. Non committal. :) That’s me mostly. Just ask Robin. But as God continues to work on me, one thing has become profoundly evident to me in all of this. I don’t have to worry about details. I need to be aware of logistical things, obviously, but I absolutely do not have to over think things. God is so much better at it than me anyway. My feeble brain cannot begin to comprehend such things.

It was a great day and a great week. And such an eventful week. Monday Robin cooked for Mosaic’s Life on the Brick. We were able to hang out with our friends at this weekly, Monday meal. Yet another relational touch point. Tuesday we had dinner with a few friends at a shelter in Council Bluffs. It was our first time there. What an amazing job these folks do at this shelter. It’s called MOHM’s Place and it was a great evening for my family to spend some time with a few friends we first met on a downtown street corner in Omaha. And of course it was a great Christmas for our family. And we topped it all off with a Sunday afternoon gathering in the park on what turned out to be a really nice day, considering it’s late December and we are in Nebraska. Again, God working in the details. He allowed us to have great weather on a day that was set aside to honor Him and in the process, a family was able to do something to honor one of theirs. I believe this young lady made a difference yesterday and I’m quite sure her uncle looked down and smiled. I know I did. Amazing.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Peace, have a great and blessed week and make a difference.

…it matters to that one… :)