Four kids all under 4 years of age were sleeping in their diapers on the floor in poverty. Tonight they sleep in their new beds in their new PJs. A small group of teens emptied their bank accounts and showed up week after week to make this happen. They showed us their faith.
"If a brother or sister is without clothing [,beds, ] and in need of daily food, and you say to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" James 2:16
Truth and justice. Two sides of the same coin.
The pillars of the earth belong to him
And he has set his world upon them
To raise us up from the dunghill
May the glory of Jah endure forever
The boughs of the mighty are broken
And the weak are clothed with strength
4 comments:
that seriously almost made me cry.....how do you find these people in such great need?
Hey Tommy:
Imagine how you would have felt to actually be there! It was incredible.
When we started the project, we knew there were kids in poverty sleeping on the floor somewhere, but didn't know where. We challenged ourselves to become the kind of people that would come across their path. We knew we would have to be intentional about it. That meant we would have to get off our butts and venture away from west Little Rock (the rich part of town).
We prayed and then began making field trips to diffent places: churches on the other side of town, battered women's shelters, agencies that work with the homeless and poor. We had a formerly homeless woman come talk to our group. We sent some letters. We were on a mission of discovery. We learned that we needed to work with agencies that were actually in the homes. We hit on an ageny that finds housing for homeless people. We talked with them about what we were doing and they began making referrals.
This has lead us to the poorest of the poor in our city. It gave us a way of entering their homes. By meeting a critical need (DHS requires that every member of a family have their own bed) we earn the right to speak to them and pray with them. We also are faced with listening for the Holy Spirit's guidance about what he would have us do next.
This whole thing has been a spiritual discipline on a number of levels. It has provided experiences and opportunities that are difficult to match in our typical Christian experience.
Heart stuff.
Wow....I am speechless....that is awesome that you have really pressed on and were proactive about doing this. It is very very encouraging for me to hear about you all doing this......my Spirit jumps for joy when I read these stories. Who actually builds the beds? Do you?
Yes, we came up with our own design. We had an engineer join us and helped us do the research and design. We have been honing the building process trying to get more effecient.
We do everything, from raising the money, buying the wood, cutting, sanding, drilling, assembling, and purchasing new mattresses and linen. We top it off with delivering it to the families.
Someone has allowed us to use their barn to set up a workshop.
The whole process has been a spiritual discipline that God has used to change us and others. It all feels like kingdom work.
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