Gratitude in a Green Coat

This morning, one of our former guests at the Men's shelter came to the office with a smile on his face and some money in his hand. A friend had given him a gift, which he used to "treat" some of his former dorm mates (themselves guests of the Mission) to a hot coffee on this cold morning. The rest, he brought to the Mission.

It's exciting to see the excitement of those who rejoice, not just at the opportunity to give back to the place which gave them so much, but also at the chance to become one of the many who show compassion to men, women, and children in need in Michigan's capital area.

Our volunteer receptionist was impressed by his joy, and she didn't even know the difference from the man who had first arrived at the Mission a year ago and the man who had just given to transform other men, as he himself had been transformed.

It reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-24, and the Lord's mercies, which are new every morning. Even on cold, windy mornings in January. Surely, the "Lord is my portion."

Abundantly Above All We Ask or Think

If you look in the news, you’ll have to search hard to find anything that will bring you hope. Job loss, economic crisis, foreign wars, internal conflicts, all this exists, and very few believe that the oft-touted goal of “world peace” is even achievable. I’m a bit of a skeptic myself, I admit. More “glass half empty” in my view toward the world and strangers I have yet to meet. But you can’t work for the City Rescue Mission, or volunteer here for even a day, without being overwhelmed by the truth that compassion does exist. I wish I could transport everyone to that moment when you’re being run off your feet by people desiring to give to others in need. To be there to scratch your head and wonder where we can put the food that is donated to pack the pantry and fill baskets for those who are struggling this holiday season. We’re all struggling, and that’s the truth. The recession has touched everyone in some way. But when things seem the darkest, that’s when you find the true measure of a person’s character. And the character of a people defines the character of a a nation. From where I sit, we really have very little to worry about.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory..." Ephesians 3:20, 21a

A Can of Pringles

I hope I never stop being surprised by life. Or overcome by generosity. Caught up in joy.

Today, a little girl arrived with her mom. Clutched in her hand was a Pringles can. But the jingle inside wasn't from chips. For the whole of this year, Makayla had collected part of her allowance in that Pringles can. "For the homeless," were the words carefully printed on yellow paper and taped to the side. She was so excited.

"Some of the bills are a little crushed," her mother explained, and the words brought to mind the image of an eight year old carefully counting and re-counting every dollar and every coin, for a whole year.

Earlier this week, another girl named Emily had stopped by to donate money raised from cards she and her sister handmade. A sweet smile on her face, she proudly posed for her picture.

What a blessing to be able to experience their joy and excitement and that innocent pleasure that comes from giving to someone else in need. We are grateful for both these girls, their hard work and sacrifice, and also for their parents, who are teaching them already the lesson of compassion.

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.