Last night, as we drove the streets of downtown, I saw several groups of people walking the streets. The ones going out for dinner and the ones begging for food. The homeless walk among us and we don't even see them. We have driven right on South High Street and less then 4 foot from the bank was a homeless man passed out. It was in front of the bank and at the ATM was a squad car. No one stopped to check on him. We finally woke him and talked with him. It was a story we heard so many times. Just another one of our forgotten brothers on the streets. What was his whole story? If I had the chance I would love to hear all the stories from our friends on the streets. The one thing thing is the stories always have the same ending. I am broke, my family wants nothing to do with me and I have no one. But they do! They have so many people that care and more they have a Lord that watches their every step. As a leader of Light of Salvation, I find that it is important to feed them but more to share the love that Christ has for them. But here it is again, how did they end up on the streets?
As I serve on a daily weekly basis, I'm always think how the homeless, began their lives as a child and this is where they have ended up. For you that have children, can you see your child living on the streets in 15 years?
One weekend as we served, I told my son to get dirty as he wanted. I watched our kids with the homeless, they have become so in love with so many people living on the streets. They have become active whole hearted followers of Christ. It is not because it's something they are being told they have to do. It's because they grew up with most of our campers. The homeless have become family. They are closer to some of the campers than they are to their own family. So, when we were done with serving I made this sign to make a point. As I looked at it my heart dropped. If I do not act like a father, than this picture could be my sons future. Do I want that? Did the parents of all the homeless plan on their kids standing on the corners with signs begging for money just to eat? How would you feel if you pulled off the highway and there on the corner was someone you knew begging for cash?
I have seen what happens when a friend went out to serve for the first time and before you knew it he face to face with his cousin. She was one of our campers and it had been a long time since they have seen each other. At first they didn't recognize each other. Then when it clicked it was all tears and hugs. It was one of those moments I will never forget.
As I posted before, I have a daughter living under a bridge in another state. I am the first to admit that before I knew Christ, I was a terrible father, I let down 6 kids and everyday I have to live with the fact that I helped bring 6 children into this world and I worry about their futures. It is sad because they are the smartest kids. I believe that the Lord loans us the love of our children and what we do with it is up to us. If I knew this before becoming a Christian, I would like to think that they would have turned out different. I still have them in my life, and all I can do is pray they see the new Dad, not the one of old. To tell you the truth he was not a nice guy. I ran with a crowd that scared a lot of people. I enjoyed the fear of the faces when my brothers and friends walked into a bar. My little kids saw things that no child should see. Where I was in life I was not ready to be a father. I was serving the wrong master, and thats what my children from another state grew up seeing and thats how they act now. I also, have two and a half that are watching me and it will be such a blessing to watch them grow up serving the Lord. We already have the pleasure of listening to them pray from their little hearts. Not ones that are rehearsed, but prayers of things that are on there minds. So, instead of my son growing up with a future like the ones up above, I have enjoyed seeing my son grow up like this.
That is a smile that will last in my heart a very long time. That is a smile on this face will continue as long as this man keeps trying to be a Dad. Being a Dad is a name that one wears proud, and is earned. Being a Christian head of my house is a gift that Christ has given me, and I know it is my duty as a Prince of the kingdom of God to do so.
So, many people have asked me why I stopped blogging for a bit. Since this is my blog, the great thing is that I get to say what I want. I took some time because as an imperfect person, I had a hard heart for things that happened and I knew that I lacked the self control to follow what the Bibe says at 1 Peter 3:10 "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech." I knew that wrong was being done and I just wanted to bring out the facts. Then oneverse came to mind. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are
doing." Then after prayer I read Colossians 3:13 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Since God took 400 years between the old testiment before he directed the New Testiment, I could take a couple of months. So, now that time has past and seeing what the Lord has done for our ministry, I am ready once again to blog. And I pray the words of our family will encourage others to join usout . If they cannot come The power of prayer that has been given to each one of us to help our friends living on the streets of Columbus.
God has done so many wonderful things. From movie nights, to so many churches joining our little ministry. Being invited to speak at churches. Other churches learning about LOS by our team and we are now able to provide things we could never do in the past. We have prayers coming from friends of friends that I have never ever met. We were recently asked by a church to take over our ministry and they would fund it and run it. After careful thought, and a very "are they crazy" (Lisa), we expressed our thanks but no thanks. When Christ whispered the words of starting our ministry and we listened, we went out and thousands of meals later we have found that God has never ever let us go out without the items that our campers need. We have come to trust that our Father will provide and he does, every weekend. I wish I could use the same wisdom in our daily lives. When we sit back and look at our lives we see our Lord has never let our family go without. He has protected our ministry when it was needed and he has shown us wonderful works that only the Holy Spirit can provide.
I have seen so many find the Lord, through our ministry. I say these things not to sound the trumpets of our good works, but to show what our Lord is doing with a family that is just a regular family. And if he is capable doing this with us, than he can use anyone. An example was last night. We had a church group bring out their youth. And to be honest, I have never ever seen God work in so many youth. They did not stand around and talk to each other, they were in full force as the hands and feet of Christ. The smiles poured God's love and the campers responded. There was laughter all around. There was love. It was a spiritual energy boost. I thank all of them so much!!
“If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers.” Maya Angelou
We have the love of our campers and our team is amazing. We are in the process of adding to our team. We have found so many wonderful people with wholesome hearts. You can see God's Holy Spirit working within them.You can feel the Holy Spirit working like it has never worked before. We have so many wonderful new friends joining us now. We have the chance to slow down and get to really know our campers. The Churches have been joining us, and not just one or two, but the support has been so rewarding. The love for your fellow man is not gone, it is just misplaced and people really don't know where to help. That's the best part, getting to spread the word and show that we have princes and princeses of Christ living under bridges, in tents, and in places where we (meaning the average person) wouldn't go to. As a private blogger I am allowed to mention things that I want to say. This last Thanksgiving I sat in Michigan, yes that place where those wolvarines live, and had the most fantastic time. LOS came up a little during the day. When it was time to leave my family, they started bringing out bags for us to take for our ministry. I was blown away by the love my family displayed. Then we went to my mother-in-laws and she has known about the ministry for a long time with no interest. Then she saw a picture and a seed was planted. Then we went drop off the kiddos for the weekend and she had two car loads of things for the ministry. It was amazing. She, for the longest time thought the ministry was taking away from our kids. Then she realized that it is a blessing for them, and they are gaining from the experience. That they like the young people out this last weekend are there because they have a love for our Lord.
We need to teach our children now, and show them that they are loved by us as well as our Lord. They need to understand that God does not want us living in the woods or under bridges, but if by some bad furtune they do end up there, that our God and Father loves us as much as he would if we were living in a home.
We have a big job ahead of us. That's a wrong statement. We have a blessing ahead of us. We are disciples of Christ and the journey we have ahead of us is one I am looking forward to. The young are the hands and feet as we are. My cousin Lisa's daughter quoted the Bible while I was up in Michigan and I swear it was like an Angel speaking. I had to hear it twice. So please when you go into tuck your kiddo for bed tonight or if they are already grown, remember they are the future of our ministries!
Your Brother,
Michael
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