What are you thankful for?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and, right now, the thing I seem most thankful for is the opportunity to sleep in. A purely selfish pleasure, I admit, and one that invariably leads me, this holiday season, to be thankful that I don't get to sleep in more often. That when my alarm goes off in the morning, I have to get up, because I have a job to get to.

In Deuteronomy 28, we are told that, if we obey the voice of the Lord, His blessings will "overtake" us. I can't think of a better blessing than being able to serve the Lord and to serve others. And while we open our doors to the lost and hopeless, the hungry and homeless, we are able to offer them food and shelter, physical and spiritual. Because of the generosity of so many people. The bounty of God and the compassion of our community never ceases to amaze me.

So this Thanksgiving, while we follow the pattern set by the pilgrims in 1621 and thank God for His "harvest" bounty, I'll also be thankful for His everyday blessings. For a job and my health. For a working vehicle and the ability to go to nearly any corner and buy gasoline for it. For our country and the men and women fighting to protect it. For the freedom to express our faith and to stand for our principles. For government, yes, even government, and that we live in a democratic republic, where we have a right to a voice without fearing imprisonment or worse should we choose to exercise that right. For our family and friends. And for our neighbors.

And my prayer is that I never again take these everyday blessings for granted.

Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Burdens are Lifted

I've been thinking a lot lately about burdens. John Bunyan, in his classic portrayal of the Christian walk, describes his "hero" carrying a heavy burden of sin until it is left at the feet of the crucified Christ. I have a copy of the illustration in my office, and it encourages me to think that the work we do every day at the Mission is bringing some person a step closer to the freedom of laying down his burden.

But when you become a Christian, you lay down your sin and selfishness and pick up a new weight. A cross. The weight of the world. If you ask to see the world through Christ's eyes, you begin to feel the heaviness of sin all around you. People you love make decisions, choose paths, that lead only to tragedy and heartbreak. And your heart breaks with theirs.

We read over and over again in the gospels of how Christ was moved to compassion when he saw the crowds, hundreds, thousands of people in need. Seeking and pleading for something more than physical healing. Looking desperately for hope. For rescue.

The need is so great. And sometimes the doubt may creep in that your tiny candle will never make much of a difference in a world so dark with despair. Then the doorbell rings. A woman stands there, hesitant even to give her name. With a broad smile, she hands over some folded twenties.

"The Mission helped me when I needed it, and now I want to give back."

Someone calls on the telephone, excited at the opportunity to participate in our holiday barrel drive. The volunteers arrive to serve the meal, as they do faithfully every day.

And the tiny candle flickers into a flame, as you realize that you are not alone. There are so many people around, holding their light high in the darkness. Doing what they can to make a difference. Each dancing light is a reminder that Christ promised our burden would be light if we shared it with Him. Because He knows the darkness of the world. And He has overcome it. We are not alone and together we can make a difference.

Thank you for helping us help others.

Backpacks of Hope

So, the weatherman had hinted at rain, and with this summer the way it's been going, it seemed as though it were a certainty. However, early on a Saturday morning, in spite of the dreaded forecast, hundreds of people were lined up outside the doors of Lansing Charter Academy. They were all waiting for the doors to open at 9 a.m.; some of them had been waiting for over four hours.

Inside, volunteers for the City Rescue Mission and Lansing Charter Academy were also waiting for the doors to open. Russ Kinyon, CRM Director of Volunteers, was explaining the process each family would need to go through to be eligible to receive a backpack from the Backpacks of Hope giveaway. An annual event, the City Rescue Mission collects backpacks and school supplies and distributes them to school age children of families in need. With the economic forecast nearly as gloomy as that of the weather for the giveaway day, this extra boost was greatly needed by many families.

At the rate of over 12 bpm (backpacks per minute), all the backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed within a few hours. The volunteers then collected remaining school supplies in plastic bags and gave them out as they were able.

Altogether, over 1,300 children received help through this much needed program. The City Rescue Mission is grateful to the many volunteers and supporters who made the 9th annual "Backpacks of Hope" giveaway a reality. We're also grateful to Lansing Charter Academy, for offering their new building to us, and to Christian Services, for their help as well.

That's Why...

We just had a young woman leave the Mission. She stopped by the office, trembling, bruised, looking for help. She needed some place to stay until she could go to work because she was afraid to go home. Then a place to stay tonight for the same reason.

Fortunately, the timing worked out so that she could spend an hour filling out an intake form at the women and children's shelter. But it makes you think of those other women where the timing isn't so fortunate. Sitting in the cars. Waiting in fast food restaurants. Hiding out in the library. Thinking. Frightened. Wondering.

That's why Maplewood can't be finished soon enough. A place of safety and shelter for women and children during the day. Please continue to pray for this project and the new opportunities it will bring to meet physical and spiritual needs to the most vulnerable.

Speaking of something to eat...

This past Sunday, Mary's Homestyle Catering and the Mega Mall held the first ever "Drive Against Hunger" car show to raise non-perishable food items for the Mission. In honor of their generosity, I'm focusing on photos of food from years past. The Mission has served food, in some form of another, since it's founding in 1911. Our "Soup Kitchen" was formed in 1932, during the very beginning of the depression. When Thomas Dolton had the foresight to recognize a need and the determination to meet that need.

This is a photo of Nancy Kellogg and, I believe, either Jessie Aleo or Elizabeth Kellogg. (I apologize for my lack of information in this area.) Notice the wholesome and delicious breakfast of bacon and grapefruit. As you can see, in the background, Tide hasn't changed much since this picture was taken in the early 70s.

Apparently, "no shirt, no shoes, no service" didn't apply to this youngster. Then again, how many of us cringe when our child attempts to eat spaghetti sans mess.

I just put this in because I found it somewhat disgusting. Can't complain about health department standards after seeing this lovely sight. Some strange, bearded guy sucking the air out of a plastic bag covered head of cauliflower. Yummy!

Staff, board, and family enjoying a day at Victory Harbor or a Lansing area park. I'm not sure which. There's always someone who has to gesture to the camera, isn't there? Leon Kellogg is the gentleman entering from the right of the group.

Last, but definitely not least, a picture of Ira Putter peeling potatoes. The Mission has had several faithful cooks who served thousands of meals during their "career" at the ministry. Ira served through several superintendents (former name for directors) until his death in the mid 70s. A great but humble life of service.

Men at Work

So, today our guys (i.e. Mission staff and program men) are cleaning out the overloaded basements at the houses on Clear Street. This inspired me to go ahead and show some views of men at work through the ages, at least the Mission ages. Most of these pics took place during the 70s, when the Mission underwent heavy renovation under Superintendent Mal Hoyt. Captions are below their corresponding pictures. (If you should happen to recognize any of the following people, please let us know.)

I'm pretty sure that this happy fellow is standing on the roof the current kitchen (behind 609). Notice that he's wearing slacks and a button up shirt to clean wood shards off a, probably somewhat questionable, rooftop.

He sure is hard at work. I remember my brother doing much the same when he was knocking out a wall. I hope that's what he is doing, because otherwise he's probably knocking down plaster to make way for the "faux" wood paneling that dominated Mission interior decorating for the next three decades. I'm not sure if this is Michigan Avenue or Larch Street, and the same can be said for most every renovation picture taken inside a building.

My first guess would have been that this was Larch Street, since I think they were converting an old storefront/warehouse. However, I know that the 600 block buildings have very high ceilings, hidden above the drop ceiling we have now. This picture does make me wonder just how concerned they were with safety. Did OSHA exist back then?

I love this picture. I perfectly understand that feeling of starting a project and looking down in dismay at the mess you'll have to take care of before you can move on to the final step. Either that or he just realized that he laid his lunchbox down somewhere...

"What Wondrous Love is This?"

I'm working on a grant request for Maplewood, and it's helping me think about our "mission" and why we do what we do. And what it is we're actually trying to do.

And I can't help but be grateful that it's not our job to judge between the "deserving and the undeserving poor." In Pride and Prejudice, the wealthy lady of the manor admonishes the pastor's wife to be sure she learns to tell the difference. But for us, this law, by God's grace and Jesus' sacrifice, does not apply.

When a man or woman shows up at our door, we can't tell, just by looking what manner of person he/she is. We don't know their condition, whether it be societal, economic, educational, moral, or spiritual. We are just to reach out the hand of Christ wherever we see a need.

How could we do less? When He, with His dying breath, called down forgiveness on those who crucified Him?