Milestones

 

The past few weeks have been filled with a number of milestones. Mid October marked the first anniversary of Fresh Start, our homeless outreach. In the past year we’ve seen thousands of homeless fed, hundreds receive toiletries and survival supplies, dozens get their IDs, about a dozen get into temporary housing, and another dozen joining us for church services and fellowship dinners. Many have heard the gospel only after first seeing it acted out (offering what one could never pay for or say they earned). Many non-Christians have come to our church simply because they see what we’re doing outside of church. Lately our focus has shifted from those still on the streets to those we have in temporary housing. Yesterday marked a milestone for 3 of those men (with a combined 8 years living on the streets) who just moved into their own place, able to pay their own rent, and officially given a “Fresh Start!”

This past weekend also marked our first adult baptism (pictured above). It was a joy meeting with her to hear the story of God’s grace in her life. In the last year we’ve seen God deliver her from the streets and addiction, then use her to offer hospitality and care to others in various forms of need. Following the service we held a feast to celebrate with her and the other new members (3 adults, 2 children). Please pray for God's hand on their lives. 

Learning patience

I like to get things done now and see results yesterday. Church planting usually doesn’t offer those luxuries or timetables. One guy I’ve been pursuing for 2 years (meaning we have a great talk, then I send him a follow up message and have to wait a few months before hearing back) sent me a random message last night. He told me his wife had just left him for another man and he didn’t know what to do – but wanted me to pray for him. After obliging I took the opportunity to direct him to how Jesus weeps with us over the losses and injustices in our lives, then offered to meet up with him if he’d like. For some people it takes years before God opens a door, and sometimes it takes seeing the sin of others to help us grasp our own sin and need for forgiveness. Please pray that I take the long view and not panic over efforts that may take months or years to see fruit.

Getting what we need, not what we deserve

Recently God used a rough day to remind me how his grace works. Two of us were helping a disabled man who used to be homeless move into his new place. When he started barking orders and insulting our “voluntary” moving efforts, the other volunteer took offense. When he spoke up about it, the resulting altercation led the hurt volunteer to quickly speed off, leaving me to finish the move myself. I was then “ordered” to go get another mover to help, but I didn’t want to subject anyone else to his belligerence. It was very hard to not leave him myself a number of times. Nobody deserves to be treated the way he treats people, and nobody who acts that way “deserves” free help from those they abuse. Then it hit me – that’s exactly how God’s grace works. God doesn’t give Christians what they deserve; he gives them what they need. That man didn’t deserve our help any more than we deserve Christ’s help. In fact, we deserved to be abandoned. Instead Christ was abandoned on the cross, saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was abandoned so we wouldn’t be. He gave us what we needed, not what we deserved. And that’s what enables us to give others the same. Please pray that God gives us his heart of grace for those we serve.