A circle of prayer at a food pantry and our car troubles
November is National Adoption/Orphan awareness month......more on that later.
When we said "yes" to God's call to add a fifth child to our home, we were not in a good place. We were stretched thin financially, emotionally, relationally. God asked us anyway. ok. ok. maybe some of the adoption stuff will come out here. We physically could not fit 7 of us in our vehicle comfortably so we did a crazy loan kind of thing that will take some time to recover......and got a vehicle we could all travel comfortably in. This has been THE thorn in our flesh ever since. It's a lemon. Constantly needing work, We have faithfully made the payments and kept the daggum thing going because all of us fit in it. This week we had to send it in again. I was.......unhappy.
Until.
Today I met a client at a local food/clothing pantry. She needed baby clothes and also knew the food would be helpful. She is young. She appreciated my invite to join her. Before the doors opened to the food/clothing room at 2pm, a guy led us to a different area and we prayed. All of us. We formed a circle and joined hands and as akward and inconvenient as it was, we were a circle of prayer. He didn't just pray the "thank you for the food they will receive" kind of prayer. He summoned Holy Spirit to heal and love and touch every single person. Many in this circle were not used to being prayed for. One woman said to me, "this is new.....it's nice"....and me? I was undone. Un-Done.
How much does God love me that He would lead me to this sacred space, to join a circle of prayer not just for food or winter coats, but for the Presence of God to fill us. At 2pm. On Wednesday.
The supply of clothing is really sparse. They need warm clothes for the coming winter for infants through adults. Coats. Boots. Snow pants. Pajamas. Lots and lots of baby clothes. I was so disappointed to see what my young mom had to look through for her beautiful baby girl. The food part was great, but after talking with a volunteer, I learned they need paper goods like toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, female hygiene stuff like tampons and pads....
You guys. This is in our town. These are our people. We can help. I started to cry, thinking of the closets full of old coats and snow pants I have. The garage is full of boots and stuff we don't need or have outgrown and we are too busy to sort through it and donate it. I saw faces today of people who could really use the things I don't have time to deal with.
Undone.
My problems with my vehicle are nothing. I have food. I have warm clothes and a heated home and children who lack.....NOTHING. All 5 of them.
Donations from church and our mission team, and Claire's paychecks, and some help from mom and dad have fully funded Claire's trip to Haiti in December. Generous friends wrote checks to help pay for daycare for my teen mom.....my cup is running over. is yours?
Maybe you have donations for the local food and clothing pantry. I know I do! You can contact me if you don't know where to bring them. I hope to do some collecting around this house over the Thanksgiving Holiday *ironic, isn't it? But really......really.....if you want to know where my heart is....it is in that circle of prayer that happens at 2pm at the HOME building on Wednesday afternoons before the doors open for food and clothing. That is where I want to purpose myself to be every chance I get.
When we said "yes" to God's call to add a fifth child to our home, we were not in a good place. We were stretched thin financially, emotionally, relationally. God asked us anyway. ok. ok. maybe some of the adoption stuff will come out here. We physically could not fit 7 of us in our vehicle comfortably so we did a crazy loan kind of thing that will take some time to recover......and got a vehicle we could all travel comfortably in. This has been THE thorn in our flesh ever since. It's a lemon. Constantly needing work, We have faithfully made the payments and kept the daggum thing going because all of us fit in it. This week we had to send it in again. I was.......unhappy.
Until.
Today I met a client at a local food/clothing pantry. She needed baby clothes and also knew the food would be helpful. She is young. She appreciated my invite to join her. Before the doors opened to the food/clothing room at 2pm, a guy led us to a different area and we prayed. All of us. We formed a circle and joined hands and as akward and inconvenient as it was, we were a circle of prayer. He didn't just pray the "thank you for the food they will receive" kind of prayer. He summoned Holy Spirit to heal and love and touch every single person. Many in this circle were not used to being prayed for. One woman said to me, "this is new.....it's nice"....and me? I was undone. Un-Done.
How much does God love me that He would lead me to this sacred space, to join a circle of prayer not just for food or winter coats, but for the Presence of God to fill us. At 2pm. On Wednesday.
The supply of clothing is really sparse. They need warm clothes for the coming winter for infants through adults. Coats. Boots. Snow pants. Pajamas. Lots and lots of baby clothes. I was so disappointed to see what my young mom had to look through for her beautiful baby girl. The food part was great, but after talking with a volunteer, I learned they need paper goods like toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, female hygiene stuff like tampons and pads....
You guys. This is in our town. These are our people. We can help. I started to cry, thinking of the closets full of old coats and snow pants I have. The garage is full of boots and stuff we don't need or have outgrown and we are too busy to sort through it and donate it. I saw faces today of people who could really use the things I don't have time to deal with.
Undone.
My problems with my vehicle are nothing. I have food. I have warm clothes and a heated home and children who lack.....NOTHING. All 5 of them.
Donations from church and our mission team, and Claire's paychecks, and some help from mom and dad have fully funded Claire's trip to Haiti in December. Generous friends wrote checks to help pay for daycare for my teen mom.....my cup is running over. is yours?
Maybe you have donations for the local food and clothing pantry. I know I do! You can contact me if you don't know where to bring them. I hope to do some collecting around this house over the Thanksgiving Holiday *ironic, isn't it? But really......really.....if you want to know where my heart is....it is in that circle of prayer that happens at 2pm at the HOME building on Wednesday afternoons before the doors open for food and clothing. That is where I want to purpose myself to be every chance I get.
Comments
Post a Comment