Ray's Of Sunshine

I'm sure that many of you have experienced days, weeks, months, or longer when it feels like you can't do anything right. I have been told by more than one homeless person that the failure in their lives is so overwhelming that it is like a constant cloud hanging over their head.

Our church has a ministry for women that teaches different life skills such as personal hygiene, job interview skills, nutrition, budget and stress management, along with other topics that help in day to day living. Most of the women who attend are from a local homeless shelter in town called, Martha's Home. At the end of each 9 week session, a graduation party is held where certificates of completion and acknowledgments are handed out and ice cream sundies are served. Best of all, I get invited to come, and last night my daughter decided to come with me.

When we entered the room where the celebration was held, we were greeted with enthusiastic hellos, smiles, and hugs. The compliments to the volunteers who hold the classes were flying left and right and the women from the shelter were laughing and full of joy. In addition, some were asking if they could take the course again.

God made the sun shine at creation and He did it again last night through the volunteer efforts of his children. God bless them.

"She Gave All She Had" - Mark 12

A few weeks ago, the ministers and ministry assistants at Central, spent a week dwelling on the passage in Mark 12, where Jesus noted that a poor widow gave all that she had. For most of my life I would blaze through this scripture thinking to myself, "how foolish" or "not in today's world". Until, I met a lady in a homeless shelter early in my ministry who, for this posting, I will call Judy.

After a few months, Judy became a member at Central and began working alongside us in ministry. She acquired Section 8 housing after leaving the shelter, but had little income because of a disability. She would work odd jobs here and there but only enough to have a small amount of change each week for city bus fare or necessities that she could not get at food pantries or helping agencies in town.

One afternoon, as I was going to my car, Judy met me in the parking lot with a noticeable limp and we began to talk about her day. She told me that she had a doctors appointment at the clinic that morning and was on her way home, but that she wanted to stop by the church building and pick up lessons to grade for a prison ministry she signed up for. After visiting for a little while, I gathered that she was walking home from the clinic which in my estimation is about a 7 mile walk. I asked Judy why she did not take the bus home and she told me that she did not have enough to ride the bus and pay her tithe the coming Sunday.

The one way bus fare is 75 cents.

Was It A Coincidence?

On Tuesday of this week, I struggled as to what the subject of the class was going to be this morning. After looking through some resource material in my office I chose a section of scripture in Acts, which had to do with Herod's persecution of the church and the killing of John's brother, James. You may recall that after James was murdered, Peter was arrested, thrown in jail, and victoriously released by an angel of the Lord. The point of the lesson was that God can be victorious out of deep personal loss, such as John's loss in the death of his brother.

In class a discussion began as to how loss during the holidays is so difficult and that Thanksgiving and Christmas can be bitter sweet for so many as a result of the death of friends or family. As the discussion continued, I noticed a first time visitor, who brought one our members to class as a favor to her, weeping. I asked her if I hit a heart string and would she like to share her struggle. She told us that she lost her son four years ago on Thanksgiving Day and in order to mask her pain began using cocaine for a period of two years. She announced that she had been clean for two years now, and that she didn't get to come to church very often because she drives a truck for a living. It was certainly the first time she had been to our class and to Central but it felt like we had known her for quite some time. We prayed for her and ended the class on that note.

I don't know about you, but I don't think it was a coincidence that the Lord gave me the subject of "loss" on Tuesday, to talk about today, and that this lady was present to receive a blessing as well as the class.

Environment of Safety

I seem to be using the phrase, environment of safety, quite a bit these days and today I did it again.

I stood before a crowd of over 80 poor people today and asked for individual prayer requests at our "Loaves and Fishes" food distribution held each week. Some weeks I sense a great deal of sadness and pain in the room and today was one of those days. On two occasions before the person could complete the request, their voice broke and their eyes teared up. After the requests died down and just before the prayer, I told them how much I appreciated them feeling like they have an environment of safety to express painful issues to be lifted up in prayer.

For the past two weeks, after the closing prayer, I have sat with two different individuals as they expressed deep pain over the loss of a family member or a battle with disease. Also, its not uncommon that others will share with the other ministers, or members who are present.

I have wondered in the past if they do this everywhere they go and have asked some of them individually why it seems so easy? The usual comment is, "because we feel you really care". I think this is probably true for anyone and not just the poor.

Please pray for hearts that care and ears willing to listen.

A Coat

You never really miss a coat until you are stuck outside in the freezing cold, which prompts you to quickly retrieve it from your closet.

Our teenagers are currently collecting new and used coats to give to the poor during our annual Thanksgiving dinner in 9 days, which takes me back about 3 years to a touching display of love involving a coat.

The church here at Central is involved in a ministry with a homeless shelter for women and children called, Martha's Home, here in Amarillo. One of the women from the shelter attended our worship service on a cold Sunday morning when during the singing portion of the service, one of our elderly ladies noticed that she did not have a coat. The woman walked across the aisle and offered her the coat she was wearing that morning. The lady from the shelter gratefully took it, they exchanged smiles, and both resumed their worship to God. Obviously, the exchange was noticed by many who were sitting close and was discussed for days among themselves and with others who didn't see it.

I don't know if the coat still exists, but I suspect the impact of a small act in a very special time carries on today.

My Beginning 11/07/2006

As I come to the close of my fourth year as minister to the poor I see so many changes in the lives of those God has put in our path. Upon occassion I share one of those stories with someone and their usual comment is, "Others need to hear the story".

Over the next few weeks I will be posting some of those stories for you to share in the blessing of what God does in the lives of those who seek him and how He uses His people to heal and bless.

I hope you enjoy this journal and invite any comments or stories you have seen or shared in.

God Bless