Soup Kitchens and Leaky Roofs

This week has been good..I have really felt the Lord stirring my heart. I don't know for what exactly, other than to realize my need for Him, and to trust in and rely on Him and the sufficient grace He gives. Today was rather eye-opening..there were many moments where I saw the Lord at work. It has rained every day this week, and that is just not good when you're trying to roof a house. It seems as if every day we have been surprised by rain and had to quickly cover the roof with tarps to keep the water out of the house (we are re-roofing the entire thing because it has pretty much rotted away, and when it rains, it rains in the house, know what I mean?). Yesterday we had to quit roofing around 3:30ish (we normally work til 5) because of a surprise thunderstorm, so we left after we covered the house with tarps and plastic. When we arrived at the house this morning, there was a note on the door from the homeowner saying that the roof had leaked through the night (there was a huge thunderstorm, threatening tornadoes, last night) and the lady, who has many health problems, had to leave and spend the night with her neighbor. That hit hard. Then the men were standing around, asking where the roof had leaked inside, no one knew, so I, being the oh-so-very-smart woman that I am, went inside to answer the question for myself! (ha!) Anyway, as I walked through the house, which I had done a couple of times before in the week, I took the time this time to notice how the people live. In one room (there were no bedroom doors in the house, only sheets hung over the doorway), there was a mattress and box springs on the floor, no bed frame, and in another room on the floor was just a mattress, with no box springs or frame. There was a little bit of furniture, but nothing matched, and well, you know. When you walk up the stairs, you have to bend over or you will hit your head because the ceiling comes so low at the bottom of the staircase. One of the biggest things that struck me when I walked in her bedroom (which is the first room you walk into when you walk in the front door) was that her bed (she sleeps in a hospital bed) was wet. This room is where most of the water comes in. Her comforter and quilt were soaked from the leaky roof. Had she stayed there last night, what would she have done? Could she even have stayed there? And how do you greet a person when you see them for the first time after that?

So needless to say, I was a little depressed for the first part of the day! But the Spirit reminded me that I needed to preach the gospel to myself. Then He continually blessed me with good conversation here and there throughout the day. One boy, who came for the first time today, when I asked him his favorite Scripture, told me a legit story about how people made fun of him when he was young, so much so that he was suicidal. But God had brought him to Isaiah 40 and said to him that "youths may grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings as eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." And that had literally saved his life, he said. Just a cool time when the Lord kicked me in the pants again for judgin folks.

And later this afternoon, I had a conversation with my supervisor, talking about the Word. In our nightly services, he always speaks, but he never cracks the Bible. He always uses stories to say things, but never uses scripture. The Lord graciously opened up a conversation about it, and he talked about how he doesn't know exactly what the "word of God" means (like when He promises that His Word will not return to Him void)..he explained that in the early church the disciples didn't use scripture to talk to one another, but they told people about Jesus and what He did. So my supervisor made a good point in saying that we many times get caught up in what's right and wrong, what's biblical and unbiblical, yet many times we forget simply who Jesus was. Anyway, this is a man I've been praying for since I got here..just something about him, the Spirit has placed him on my heart. So tonight during the service he shared scripture, and by goodness it was legit! It was just powerful. And I think I've just settled in my heart after prayer and some struggling that I just need the Word, the written Word, because it's just so good. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and I don't want to rely on my own understanding of the world..I'm too crazy for that. I need the Word. All of it, even the parts I don't like because they hurt my feelings. God, give us a passion for Your Word! And may it go forth into all nations, to the places it is not known! And so friends, let us pray. And let us share the Word in word and in deed, relying solely on the power of the Spirit to lead us.

Grace and peace be with your spirit! :)