Filled up and Overflowing!

Have you ever been involved in something where there are so many cool things going on that you can't focus enough to sit down and write about just one? That's where I am. Speechless! Can you imagine? me? speechless?

A few people have asked me to blog about our experiences downtown each week and I find myself being able to talk about them at length but writing them all down is overwhelming. Dave has been so good at focusing on individual stories and I share in those and love what God is doing.

I guess, maybe my experiences can't be conveyed with words. The joy is all in being down there with the people, and is impossible for me to put into words. Maybe that's why I don't even attempt. Any words I have would not do what I feel justice. The big successes are amazing and something to watch, don't get me wrong. But it's the laughter, the joy on people's faces, the hugs and handshakes, the break from the harsh realities of life that touch my heart so deeply. It's the fact that these guys who barely know us want to come and chat with us. Sure, we bring food and clothing, but there is plenty of food available to them if they want that. They are all clothed and what we get them, many times, is a bonus. And, sure, there are some that take advantage of our generosity and only come for the stuff. But, there is a group of people there who don't come for the food (although they like the menu!) and they don't ask for anything. They hang around on the edges of the crowd waiting for us to get done 'working' so that we can visit. They tap us on the shoulder to say hi or to tell us they are moving on and then they wait for us when we say, "Just a sec!" They stand in the freezing cold weather just to chat.

For us, in the beginning, Sundays were a way to live out the Gospel - to serve God. For them, in the beginning, Sundays were a way to get a great meal with 'real' protein. Now, Sundays are a family picnic in the park. They are a respite from our busy weeks and their weeks of a hard life on the streets. They are a welcome break and, I think, what God had in mind when he commissioned the Sabbath. All that matters on Sundays is what goes on there at those moments. Enjoying each other, loving and serving one another, just because that's the way God wants it. And He blesses it and He is the Author of it and I am speechless before Him that He would allow us to be a part of what He is doing.

I love Him and I love our friends in the park!