Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start!

A new day to rise and be challenged to serve others in a fresh way.

Sometimes it’s asking someone if you can pray with them.

Sometimes it’s inviting someone new to church.

Sometimes it’s boldly sharing your belief in Christ with a pre believer.

Sometimes it’s encouraging someone with a Word from God.

Sometimes its signing up for a new class at church or a life group or a Bible study.

Its stepping out and beyond where you are at right now into unknown, uncharted waters.

Trusting fully and completely that as you step out, God is there holding you steady equipping and filling you with a fresh power to walk on top of the waters you’ve been avoiding.

Friends, for me right now in this season, its loving on the people in my community that are currently homeless.

I shared last week about my first trip to meet with them.

We went back last Sunday and we will be returning today.

The need is even greater than I realized.

Our goal was to meet some very real physical needs by supplying a warm dinner and some toiletry items and things they had requested the week prior.

Saturday, Nia and I made sauce together.

My baby girl can coooook! She loves to cut, mix, and just help in any way in the kitchen.

Then, Sunday after an amazing worship service, we came home and made hot, spaghetti dinners and fresh antipasto salads.

We loaded up our van with food, our family, a few close friends, and of course Max!

And we drove into our city. My dear friend Paula has such a heart for people so we stopped and met with a few individuals as we saw them along the way. Paula and I got out and listened. Really listened to what they were going through.

Then, we visited two different homeless camps. Yes camps. Tent living right on the side of a 6 lane highway. A road with businesses, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, fast food, and city parks. Right there in a parking lot next to a chain link fence bordering a park is a community of about 50 people.

We drove in and opened the back of our van. Pulled out coolers of drinks, and waited. At first, they were leery, almost fearful. We respected their space again.

One man came about halfway through the parking lot, so I approached him and asked him if he would like dinner. He came over and received a hot meal, a cold drink, and love and respect.

He went back and when people began to see it was safe, they came over too.

They were shocked that we were just there to serve them.

As they came over, they were so thankful for a cold drink. That seemed to be a favorite. Some just stopped over for a cold coke.

And many really needed items like wipes, ibuprofen, and soap.

Friends. EVERYONE you encounter has a story! Each and every person has a background, a struggle they are currently in or have overcome, a history.

And each person that I have been blessed to chat with this is homeless has taught me something. They have stories of battles won and battles lost.

They have mountains in front of them that they desperately need moved in order for them to be able to get safe housing and honest work.

The solutions that you or I may think should be so easy for this community are often times just not possible.

And to be heard and seen, really seen for the precious soul they are makes a huge difference.

People see homelessness, but I see a person who is strong and brave and surviving despite everything that is raging against them.

I see someone whom God lovingly crafted and designed for this time in history.

I see someone that God loves and desires good things for.

I see someone that would be on Jesus’s radar if He were walking the earth in flesh today.

I see someone that is on God’s heart and mind and He desires us to be the very Hands of Christ serving the hurting, the widows, the poor, and the orphans.

Friends, this faith life is often messy, dirty work. We are called to be uncomfortable and push through our fears and fight to get the gospel out of our hearts and shared with others.

And it’s a fight. We have to fight our fears, our own doubts, our safe and tidy boxes, and our pride. Its scary to minister in new ways.

Sometimes just asking a friend if they want to pray can make our heart pound and our palms sweat. But we gotta just DO IT.

Push for growth in our faith. Push through fear and get bold. It will make our Papa proud and it will send the enemy packing.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Let our hands and feet and tongues and bank accounts and homes and EVERYTHING that we have honor You and serve YOUR Kingdom. May we be agents that move the gospel of Jesus Christ forward through our obedience and submission to You. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings!

Vanessa Lynn

****If you live in Lee County and would like to get involved, let me know.

You can come along with us or you can also donate some of the needed items. ****