Trips can induce some of the funniest feelings. For instance, each day of this trip felt like a week. On Saturday, when we were celebrating Bri's birthday by going to a Mexican place, I said something like, "We've sat at different tables ever since we've gotten here - let's all sit at a big table tonight." Then I realized we had "gotten here" the night before. I guess what I'm trying to convey is that each day was packed so much that Williamsburg felt like a different lifetime. This was all true until Wednesday, when we were getting closer to our departure. Then the feelings flipped: it felt like we'd only been in New York City for a day or two, and that Thursday morning was coming at us at 1,000 miles a minute. So to look over the entire week and tell you about it is a very odd reality to me right now.
Wednesday night we found ourselves driving through NYC looking to and fro in search of people making their beds on the streets. We were able to meet about forty homeless people that night, providing prayer, blankets, water, PB&Js, some clothing, and toiletry packs to anyone who wanted them. At one stop Carrie, Ericken, and I spotted some guys setting up cardboard box living quarters in the cold rain. This would be their place for the night. That reality in itself was humbling. After a few minutes, Carrie and I got to meet and talk with a guy named Moses. When we asked if there was anything he would like for us to pray for him he said very honestly, "food." As soon as he said this I thought of the line from "The Lord's Prayer" saying, "give us today our daily bread." When people prayed that in Jesus's time they probably meant it literally. When Moses essentially asked us to pray this, he meant it literally. I was so humbled by this man's request. I had never prayed for myself or any other person that food would be available for the eating. Talking to and praying for Moses (among others) really shoved in my face the reminder that these were people out here, people whose dreams have been shattered, whose passions have probably been stifled nearly to death. This too was humbling.
People. I feel that the value in and of people is what God was really speaking to me all week long. Whether it was regarding busy New Yorkers, the homeless, the kids we met at the Jamaica House, or my team members, I was constantly impressed with the greatness that is in people. On the note of my team members, I really have left this trip feeling like it was the best week of my life. And it has been. I have absolutely loved being around Mr. Aman, Holly, Josh, Ericken, Will, Mishi, Briana, and Carrie for an approximate collective time period of 100 hours. Sure, some edges were rubbed, we were all offended at some point, and all appropriately corrected too, but I feel that community is where the growth is. A lot of us probably grew so much more regarding how we treat people in this one week than we did listening to fifty messages from services. Not because the messages weren't effective, but because becoming a part of something with other people is a conduit of God's transformation. I am so thankful for God's way of doing things. They're so much better than our ways.
As I've been writing this I keep thinking of something C.S. Lewis said in his book The Four Loves.
"The truly wide taste in humanity will similarly find something to appreciate in the cross-section of humanity whom one has to meet every day. In my experience it is affection that creates this taste, teaching us first to notice, then to endure, then to smile at, then to enjoy, and finally to appreciate, the people who ‘happen to be there’. Made for us? Thank God, no. They are themselves, odder than you could have believed and worth far more than we guessed."
Everyone's valuable. Everyone's made with gifting, talent, humor, and quirks. I guess it's our job to look at people with appreciation- not condemnation, judgment, nit-picking, and our own boastfulness. I am really challenged in this. I've loved New York. I didn't buy the T-Shirt, but I literally got to love on some New Yorkers. Now I'm back home. Now is the true though part. Now is where the rubber meets the road. Anyone can go far away, get uncomfortable, write blogs about it, and feel good about what went down. But it's so much tougher to follow Jesus and love people with our everyday lives sometimes, isn't it? I'd say so.
Please be praying for our team as we are back in our own City and are possibly facing the temptation of normalness. We so thank you for reading our accounts and praying for us all along the way! We have been blessed beyond our imaginations. Come along side us as we seek to love Williamsburg.
- Ashley Loveless
No comments:
Post a Comment