After more than four years serving our God, tonight was one of the hardest times I think I have had. I have climbed through windows of abandoned houses to check on kids with guys with guns checking me out. I have had to leave a mom with her baby in an ice storm. I have walked up to a crack house to ask permission for our ministry to be on their block to feed the hungry. I have seen a lot of things. I have always trusted my Lord to take care of me and he has ever time.
Tonight I had the pleasure to meet Fireman Dan Ramney thanks to Brother Sanders. Dan came across a young man that was homeless. He is living off Rome Hilliard road in an area 2 foot wide by 5 ft long. He left home with his brother and together they watched each others back. He looked up to his brother and counted on his brother to take care of him. Seth is the name that belongs to the face above. His brother was picked up and is now sitting in jail. Meanwhile, Seth a very scared young man is living on the streets alone. Because of his brother he is not allowed to stay at any shelter in the city of Columbus. Every place we called it was the same story: the brothers are black balled and no longer allowed at the shelter. Dan met us at the Vets camp to get him situated in a tent and with some of our campers that could watch over him. You should have seen the fear in this young mans eyes. The Bible say "Out of the mouths of babes", but in this case it should say through the eyes of the young ones. His eyes told a story that no parent should ever hear. When I saw the tears of fear drop from his eyes, it was like he was begging for a change. Seth's story is being played over and over again as I sit here writing this Blog. My heart is completely broke and finding the pieces will take some time. The only thing I am able to do is trust that God will take care of this lost child.
On our way to meet Dan and Seth, my wife said something to me that I believe is so true. Everybody must sleep in the bed that they made, but sometimes it takes someone else to help them change the sheets (she stole this from a friend). I know from my past I have done things that I regret, but if it wasn't for God using my wife to change my life the bed I was in was not a good place to be. I pray that God mends the heart of this child. Seth is still a child of God and he has the same wonderful promises that we are all promised. I know that this young man will not make it in jail. He looks like a 12 year old child and jail will eat him alive. I also know he will not make it on the streets of Columbus. The only chance he has is by prayer and the grace of God. If there are any prayer warriors out there this is the time. I beg you to call out to our Father to protect Seth and that he finds his way to where he belongs.
I know there are positives to this, I can only think of a couple. One being that I met a good man of God today in Dan. I also was once again reminded that our ministry is such a blessing from Jesus. The ministry of all the others and all these meetings are a blessing and something that is so needed in this city. Not just for the campers, but the ministry is needed by all that serve in the ministry. God uses so many wonderful people in ordinary circumstances. The most recent example of this was last week. I saw a mother of two, stand up to a drug induced camper and preach about the kingdom of God and God's love. Watching that happen was so wonderful. Sister Beth stood in a circle of homeless and preach again an hour later. The Holy Spirit was working in front of our eyes and it was amazing. Our friends that share in this ministry have wholesome hearts. They leave their families every Saturday, and go out and witness to strangers about our Lord. In time, those strangers become family, and the circle of prayer continues to grow. Prayer is our key to the front doors of the kingdom of God. When we circle and worship in prayer that is our way of sharing our love for one creator. A couple of months ago, we had a prayer circle that included several churches, several religions, and a whole lot of fellow believers. In the Bible it says after each day God created something he called it good, not great, not wonderful, not awesome, he just called it good. I think of the ministry as the greatest, most wonderful act of worship that God has allowed us to serve. Could you imagine if God thought that creation was just good, what would he consider awesome? I guess it shows me that our goals for our ministry need to be set a little higher. I want my God to see what we do as a ministry and say that those disciples of mine are wonderful servants, not just good servants.
It's been a while since I have thanked all of my fellow servants of our God. You have followed Christ's commandment and gone into the world making disciples. We are out there planting the seeds and we are watering our campers and by doing this we are showing them the true love of God. So when we come across another young man like this,
that he has a future, and a God that loves him. He will also know there are friends that care about him. He does not need to be alone, sleeping by himself, lost in society. Seth does have a purpose, and as I have said it before, I pray that he finds his way back into the arms of our Lord, and the one place he will find that hope that he is so desperately missing in his young life.
God is good!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment