Thanksgiving Outreach Stories

Beyond the stony gravel of the railroad, in a ditch beneath the trees, is a tiny homeless community. Tents are everywhere, trash and burnt out firepits. I'm bundled in two jackets, yet it is the day time. I walk around with a sinking feeling in my chest. This is America, I live a half hour away in one of the richest neighborhoods of Louisville and these people are relying on us to drop off some water and more blankets for the impending cold of the night. My heart breaks.

Anne sits across from me at a soup kitchen. I had sat down here when I scanned the room full of homeless people and picked her out of the crowd. She pours out her life story to me, hungry for someone to listen. She was alone in this crowded room. She told me a story of hopes and dreams, that were soon shattered by someone she gave her heart to, but in a careless moment he cast her heart that was intertwined with his aside. Yet somewhere in her searching for meaning, in her searching for something fulfilling after the pain, she knew that God was with her. He was her constant source, someone she could pray to, someone she knew would answer.

We knocked on a door, hoping for the best, the last 5 doors had failed us. Mary answered and we asked her if we could pray for her or if there was any other way we could bless her today. She almost closed the door, but she later told us, she had a good feeling about us, Jesus had come with us. She said just a week before she had been given more bad news from her doctor and she was about to give up. She felt hopeless, for a moment. Her doctor told her he missed her smile. She said, "But you came, and you were sent straight from God."
Mary told us story upon story, imparted wisdom from her 74 years to our young hearts. She said, "Sometimes when I think about life, it's strange, the good and the bad and I just have to thank God for both."
We blessed her that day, but she blessed us. We needed to hear from her as badly as she needed to hear from us.

So many stories swim in my head. Three days of non-stop ministry and my heart is full. There is so much tragedy, so much homelessness, but there is this hope that lays underneath the surface of it all. Anne felt it, Mary knew it. Instead of being discouraged by the sadness I felt this weekend, I am filled with hope. Jesus is pursuing these people with broken hearts, he isn't letting them feel despair. He nudges them with this hope and whispers, "There is something more."
So when I prayed for Anne, I prayed not that God would take her out of her pain, but that God would send her someone to love on her, be the hands and feet of Jesus, Someone to disciple her, so she would never have to feel lonely in a crowded room again. When we prayed for Mary, we prayed not that he would take away the pain, but that He would be the only comfort she would know, that she would keep living passionately for the Lord, knowing that He is her source.
Mary's smile gives me hope, Anne's story gives me passion,  The homeless man who told us how blessed he was gives me a grateful heart. They have so little, but they have so much hope, even if they don't always feel it, it stirs within their souls.
Because of this weekend, my heart is different. It has a new passion, it has a new hope and I'm so thankful.

asAlThis is a picture of the team I got to serve alongside this weekend. They are so amazing, and I am so blessed they are in my life.

I got to hold a kitty! I miss kitties so much! But the one homeless family had a kitty so I got to hold her!!