A lifetime in two days!
This past Saturday I met a couple of new neighbors to the SCM and re-learned that the circumstances of someone's life are not as important as the emotions we can all relate to; I may not know what being an addict feels like, but I know some of the emotions it brings: loneliness, desperation, hopelessness, etc. When I take a moment to relate to the emotional journey then I can show empathy and begin to love my neighbor.
My favorite moment was watching Marge fit Ron for some new boots to keep his feet warm and dry. I imagined Jesus washing his disciples' feet. I always envisioned he did it solemnly to drive home his point about how important it is to serve one another - yet Marge was excited and joyful and she tied the laces; I assume it was because she knew the comfort she provided to Ron. So often it's the simple things we think may not mean anything that means the most. I like to think that Jesus had that same smile.
Sunday was a joyful time for me and I shed quite a few tears. We learned during church on Sunday that our friend on the street, Ed, has been provided a room at Love In Action. The night before Steve and I were crawling under the overpass where he lives to make sure he got back to his place safely. Seeing him in his room, sitting on his plush couch, I asked him how he saw God in all this. He said he saw our friend and volunteer, Steve, as an angel from God. I asked whether he felt this way because he was given a room and he said, "No, I knew it the day he came over to talk to me and took an interest in me." Many of our neighbors feel they are not worth much so the smallest kindness goes a longer way than we can imagine.
Last but absolutely not least, our brother Trevor re-dedicated his life to Jesus! I felt honored to be a part of the ceremony and his life in some small way. His life story is inspiring - ask him next time you see him.
Thank you so much to our close friends at Hope Vibes who joined us as always to provide showers and laundry and most of all HOPE!
The SCM doesn't happen without your support - if your group would like to host a weekend or if you know of a business owner who might like to join us to offer their services or products, contact us and we'll get back with you ASAP.
Feeling left out? Don't! Meet us at the Street Corner on February 4th. See you there!
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