New Year

Yeah, I’m getting old and sometimes would rather stay home than go out and party. I still love staying up late at night regardless of my morning schedule of taking our dogs for a walk at 5:30am. This last week was awesome between having two occasions to love on our homeless friends with a Christmas Eve Celebration on Sunday and Monday. We barbecued  hundreds of hot dogs and burgers, in addition to having a great variety of food items to share with our homeless friends. It was during this celebration that God brought us a homeless teen who is from Texas. I was so proud of my teens that reached out to this guy.

Now fast-forward after Christmas and now New Years has come that I am still thrilled by seeing God work in little ways. I was taking some coffee to a new friend that has been homeless most of her life and now has a great place to live in an intentional Christian Community. I had gotten an e-mail from a friend that helps on occasion with house painting or bringing food to the homeless. She had decided with a friend to make cookies and bring them to our mutual friend.  So what are the odds that I pull up to the Prayer House to see my two friends with cookies dropping them off. We have a great conversation and enjoy blessing our friend.

It is always interesting to see how God chooses to connect the dots in life. I was doing a wedding on Sunday of a good friend who had gone through a tough divorce a few years ago. He had asked me if I would do their wedding. I was hesitant to say yes understanding the circumstances around his past marriage. We met a few times and I asked the hard questions and he more so shared his heart and it was clear that he had grown immensely in the last couple of years when it comes to being transparent and open. I have a great time listening to his story and that of his fiancé.

The wedding took place in his parent’s home with mostly family and a few friends. I was talking with one of the uncles and realized as we are talking that he is a union rep for the grocery worker’s union. I quickly ask him if he knows another friend who had been wrongfully terminated by her Safeway manager over a year ago. All of a sudden this guy’s eyes light up and he says YES! He knows one of my awesome moms. He had tried to help but with no success.

As I finish writing this blog it strikes me that as Solomon says so clearly in Ecclesiastes that everything remains the same in life only the names and scenery changes. I am thankful to be able to love on this homeless teen, who just visited the ER last night and is still sick. I have another teen, who has lived with me on and off the last 4 years, also text needing some help. The answer to both of these guys is that it is time to take ownership of your life, don’t look for any short cuts and be honest with yourself, me and most of all God.

As I was driving had another call from someone who needed some help with expenses for school. I again asked the same questions as always, where is your family, don’t you have any friends and why can’t your present church help? I didn’t turn her down but asked her to step up and show me that she is responsible for her own situation. I text her a cell number of a great friend who attends her church and is more likely to be able to help. I tell her to call me later in the day and update me on what has happened.

I just read 2 Cor. 5:17 which is a constant reminder that my life should be new each day as I put my life in Christ’s hands. I know the ‘routine’ the question is whether I follow my own advice to others. I know that talk is cheap and actions always speak louder than words. So I know that 2013 will be a great year! I also want to acknowledge that 2012 was a good year but as a family we had many trials between my dad’s health, my Anne’s cancer scare and Anne’s mom hip replacement surgery. I know that I have to willfully give each day to the Lord and ask that He again teach me the gospel in my life this day.