Homeless

Somewhere in time, this week, my church hosted an event called Project Homeless connect.  This happens once a month in various locations in Arizona.  It brings in all the services and organizations that can help the poor into one location.  My job was more or less a guide.  I had a list of all the organizations and where they were located.  They would assign me someone and I would guide them to each organization they wanted to visit.  This was my very first time to work at this type of event and I enjoyed it.  I like talking to people and walking around, so it was a good day.

When I first approached the line of waiting people I felt a bit of trepidation.  I am a woman, I didn’t know if I would feel comfortable helping a man, not being one, I’m not sure of what their needs might be.  I said a little prayer “Lord, can you allow me to work with a woman.”  God answered my prayer and I met five very lovely women that day.

It amazes me the different reasons people need assistance.  Sometimes it was bad choices that lead to addictions.  Sometimes it was health related.  Sometimes it was just the economy.  Intelligent, hardworking people lose their jobs through no fault of their own.

As I helped each of these ladies, I could see a little bit of myself in each one.  I haven’t dealt with an addiction, but I have made wrong choices and suffered the consequences. I did lose my teaching job a few years back, a product of a reduction in work force.  God has been unbelievably good to me. Sustaining me through each day, each month and each year by his grace.

This is from the Message Bible -

Ephesians 2:1-6 “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living; tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it; all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.  He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus our Messiah.

All of us are the same, we are sinners saved by grace.  The good news is, it’s not up to us. God shows us mercy and love.  We just need to accept it and bless the Lord for His goodness.   

Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) (Official Music Video) from matt-redman on GodTube.