tonight
a church along aurora has a wonderful ministry that I’ve been taking part in. we go to some of the motels and deliver warm meals to the residents there. as a leader within epic life church, i have prayed and discussed with others the need for our citywide Body of Christ to work together and reach a community that often is overlooked.
what i have noticed in the last several months is a clear awareness of the reality of God among the residents in these motels. strange, i make alot of assumptions, and it seems that each one fails me. tonight, i met two wonderful people- one in particular who really touched me. she was like a book, and she opened herself up and was vulnerable with me. she has been in and out of treatment, addictions- has moved from one place to another, has lost dearly loved ones, has suffered from intense illness, and has come out somehow admirably strong and hopeful. i admire her.
the funny thing is, given another circumstance- on the bus for instance- i would have easily passed her up in my haste to get to the next commitment. missing her front left teeth, so a broken smile- dark eyes, long black hair, 50-something. but compassion allows you to see the beauty in someone despite their appearances. amazing how that happens.
and she was beautiful.
she let me pray for her, and we prayed about housing and health and setting an example to her children. we prayed about hope and perseverance. we prayed for freedom from the bonds of addiction and all of its broken promises. substances never hold up their end of the deal- they are temporary, at best.
she spoke to me about a hope trudging on through a broken situation- how joyful she was to have “this beautiful room in the best corner of the motel in a great location!” i was humbled. and she had a van. she praised the Lord for her van and for that motel room she shared with her son, his girlfriend, and their two children. she praised the Lord because she was still alive and getting surgery on her colon soon. she celebrated the things that i would complain about. thank you, sweet reality check. seems the Lord reveals the worst and best in us, doesn’t He?
