When I used to take shelter in the dark spot against the outside wall of the liquor store, that's where God got my attention.
God's light seems to be brightest in the darkest places. I got the privilege to talk to one of the parents of our 5th grade students at Brentwood Park for church.
Oh yeah, church. I grew up going to a big church every Sunday and kind of felt lost in the sea of the giant congregation. My circle was very small. People would drive in from all over, fellowship for an hour and a half, then return home. We started going to The Ville Church a little over a year ago, after bouncing around to a couple different churches after Max was born. One thing I've really appreciated about this church that I don't think I've seen others do, is that once or twice a month, church service goes outside the four walls and into the neighborhood. We either do church in the garden, church in action (street cleanup, different work projects, helping neighbors' lawns), or church at the park.
Last Sunday was church at the park. We listened to a short message, prayed, then broke off into groups to walk the streets of Brentwood, praying for and praying with the neighborhood. On this walk, I ran into Corey, a once 16 year old kid who I played basketball with back in 2010, now about 30 with a full beard but the same youthfulness in his eyes. In my our prayer group was Andre. An older gentleman from the neighborhood and father to one of our after school students.
I was homeless for years. I've slept in the park, at bus stops, behind the liquor store. When I started going back to church, the things I was used to doing didn't have the same pull as they did before. I knew I couldn't keep living the same way. My spot was in a dark spot, you know, where you can see out but no one can see you, by the liquor store. God saw me though. Surprisingly, that was my safe place, where I could get my head right.
He would go on to say there were times he wanted to go back to his old ways, back to the darkness, but the prospect of getting custody of his daughter changed that. Even when she was as young as 6, she would call her dad to make sure he was okay.
"Hey Harmony. I'm gonna sleep on the street tonight."
"Sleep on the street?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna wait by the bus stop to come see you."
"Do I need to ride my scooter down there to get you off the street?"
"I'll be safe, don't you worry."
Andrew, he told me, she was that light in my life to keep me going. Her name is so perfect for how she has been in my life.
We continued to talk, well, he continued to talk and I just listened and clung to every word. I left wondering why we don't do church like that every week. It makes so much sense and seems to resonate with verses from the Bible about going two by two into the world, about bringing the gospel to others, about loving your neighbor, verses that didn't really have hands and feet at past churches.
Sometimes you can tell which relationships will last, which ones will continue, but other times, people come into your life and stay that you had no forewarning of their importance to your future life. Some verses I've been committing to memory lately are very powerful. Romans 12:9-12 "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
I encourage you to think of someone you can give love to today, someone you haven't thought about in a while, or even a neighbor you see on a walk. Pray for them, be genuinely concerned for them. Seek nothing in return. I was deeply impacted by going outside my comfort zone, and God will show up if commit that time to him.
