Lovely day in the Park

We were blessed once again to have some really great folks from True North Church, as well as some of the nursing students come down today. First of the month and it is typically smaller amounts of people showing up, but I am always reminded that those that are suppose to be there are there. Got to love on some really awesome people. Was a special day for me, with the extra help I was able to connect with some of the guys and sit and have a good chat with them, something I have not been able to do in awhile. Plenty of food left over so we hauled it down to the underpass. I was excited about going down. I haven't been down in awhile and even though I knew some of the folk there, there are many new faces on the streets and it was great to get to know them as well. There were a few things that stuck out to me today and something's that really pulled at my heart. Pastor Jason from True North as been to the underpass before talking to the guys there and he told me about a young man Miguel who told Jason that he would have his back and no one would mess with him. Well after everyone left, I stayed awhile longer talking to Pat, he was pouring his heart out and crying when Miguel came up. Miguel looked at me and asked what is going on. Pat stopped him right there and proceeded to tell him who I was and what I was doing there, explaining that we go back since the beginning of when I started going to the park. Miguel looked me up and down and held out his hand to shake, we shook and in his world things were alright. He accepted me and I understand were he is coming from. He is the self appointed protector, the folks on the streets are his family and no one messes with family. He asked about Jason. I realized Jason also has been accepted into a community that not all are welcome in. Pastor Jason's church will soon embark on starting their own picnic in the park for our friends outside and their going to be great. Our friends outside are going to be in good hands. Mike and Kirsten have been coming down the last few weeks, with their teenage kids and this is a family you just fall in love with. Such beautiful loving people and hearts as big as they get. I had wondered from time to time how their kids liked coming down to the park, not every teenage kid would give up part of his or her weekend to spend time with those on the streets. As I was standing near their son, I looked over and asked how he was doing, he turned looked strait in the eyes and with the biggest smile on his face said "This is the highlight of my week." I asked him how old he was and he said in a few months he will be eighteen. In a brief moment I saw my son in this young man. My son was a few months away from his eighteenth birthday when he passed away, my son had so much love and compassion for people and so much wanted to make a difference in the lives of those who may not have. That is what I saw in the heart of this young man. So I came home cried a little...was missing my son, but rejoiced in the fact that one day we will see each other again, I pictured him smiling down on us saying "Give them a hug for me too." So we go down to love on our friends who live outside, hoping in some small way we can make a difference in the lives of those whom others have forgotten, hoping the Lord will touch their hearts and some days we walk away being the ones touched. Give someone a big hug and let them know you love them....the chance to do so many not come a second time. Love you All

In the Little things

God never stops amazing me. We had a small group of people show up in the park today and inquire about what we do there. We shared a lot things with them and hope to have the chance to share more. One thing I pointed out to them is, if they are looking for big grand moves of God down here in the park then they will miss God in the little things. Things like the Lord putting a smile on a face that has not smiled in a long time or a heart that is letting it's walls down. I also explained that it is the quiet moments after we are done serving that we get to see God move on the people.  Not more than a few minutes later, guess who made his presence known?

 

We are standing in a circle, all talking and one of the women from the park walks right thru everyone, stands in the middle of the circle and states I need prayer. The group that came down were very loving and kind to our friend, surrounded her, loved on her and prayed for her. I stepped back when she asked for prayer, not that I didn't want to pray with her, but I wanted to see how this group would react. I also had to step back and take in what was going on. The woman asking for prayer is a regular of ours and has been coming to the park for years. She usually has had way to much to drink, is lots of times angry, has more walls surrounding her heart than you can imagine and doesn't really engage with us. So for this woman to come over and boldly step into a group of people she doesn't know,  then make herself vulnerable and bare her heart....this is a move of God. These are the moments that put a smile on my face, make my heart jump for joy and bring tears to my eyes. These little moves of the Lord bring hope to a hopeless heart, love to someone who doesn't feel worthy of love and changes the lives of all who are present.

 

Let them see You

Let it be your feet and your footsteps that I follow, footsteps that will  take me to places no one else will go.  Let it be your hands thru me, that will touch and hold those that no one else will hold. Let it be your eyes that I see others thru, let me see the treasure each one holds, let me see how precious they are  in your sight and the love you have for them. Share your   heart so I can feel the compassion you have for all. Most of all Lord when I look upon them and see you, may they also in turn look and see you in me.

Alone

I never understood for the longest time why women on the streets would bounce from one man to the next, but then you learn that it is a form of survival. Even though the women are some of the strongest  people I have met, they are still at risk when being alone on the streets . A man provides a form of protection, even though that may come at a cost to the woman. I have seen women do everything from standing on a street corner panhandling to selling them selves to make money for their man. When that man leaves for one reason or another, you see many of the women take up with another. In other cases they try to make it on their own. This is the case of one that I had a conversation with a few weeks ago. Her man will be spending about six months in jail and she says she will not get with anyone else. This has left her being a target. She stood crying, telling me how those who claimed to be her friends are now hounding her to sleep with them and if she refuses, they beat her. She said that no matter what, she won't do it, she won't give in and she will survive on her one. In the week to follow she was doing good. The next week she showed up with a couple of guys whom she said were taking care of her. The last few weeks I have not seen her and I worry about her. I pray that she is alright. Pray for these women. Pray for their safety.