All good things must end?

I wrote this post yesterday, but my thoughts were a jumble, so here's a clearer version.
I have a hard time saying things up front because I'm always worried that someone will take offense or think I'm too negative.

Yes, The Refuge is in trouble right now. I'm saying it as clearly as possible.

I try to be positive about things because I know that what we are doing by providing shelter to homeless in Lapeer is a good thing. A great thing in fact, because there is no other shelter in Lapeer.
There's clearly a need for one since this winter alone we housed 52 individuals. Actually, the number would be higher if we didn't have a cap set at 20 each night. So, what we are doing is a great blessing to the community. I know that, so I don't want to give up.

But it is a never ending job to get volunteers, keep them and help those in need all at the same time. The job gets harder and harder every year and The Refuge is losing ground steadily.

We need a shelter. We need more than shelter.
But there's not enough people to help.
The Refuge can't continue with the way it is without volunteers and it certainly can't grow to meet the needs that go beyond temporary shelter.

I get so frustrated.  I read books about making a better outreach for homeless persons, but don't have enough people to make it happen. Then I decide to read everything on marketing (yes marketing because let's be honest that's what any organization has to do in this day and age), recruiting volunteers, and leading.

I feel like we're just spinning our wheels though. Something has to change and I'm willing to do whatever is needed.

Over the years The Refuge has been a great blessing. It hasn't always been such a struggle.
I listen to our homeless guests stories each year when I sit down with them to an interview and it's unmistakable that The Refuge is a blessing in their time of need. I'm grateful beyond words to be a part of that.

For example, did you know that some would have died from living outside in the cold had we not been there?
Did you know that we have a very small group of ladies who work in the medical field that take time to see our guests regularly while we are open?
Because of their dedication to helping we've actually saved the lives of some of our guests.
We've had several over the years get baptized or recommit their lives to Christ.
Many are in permanent housing now living stable lives because we were there when they needed us.

What a blessing The Refuge has been!
The reality though is we don't have enough volunteers to keep making it happen.

I don't know what to do.
I've been working every angle I can think of.
I've been praying.

I don't care if The Refuge as we know it ends so long as something takes it's place. I'm all for partnering with whomever to get the job done. I just want to help people bottom line.

It doesn't have to be The Refuge, but it needs to be something.
Our community has to come together somehow to meet this need.

People are still out there living in tents, staying on couches from one house to another, still dealing with everything that they have been carrying with them for all this time and wondering if it will ever change.

And say what you want about why these people are homeless or what you think the homeless should be doing to move forward.
Bottom line, the homeless are people. People made by God. Jesus still died for them to save them that they might have abundant life.

Their lives still matter and I want to make sure that I let each of them know that. I want to make sure that whether they accept help or move forward or not move forward that they know that they matter.

If they know that, then at least I've done all I can to show them love and what they choose to do with it is their choice.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Here's my simple prayer. Lord of the harvest send workers into this harvest field. Amen.

3:46 am: its cold!!

So I think I slept about 2 hours this night.
For everyone who doesn't know, my family, friend and I are sleeping outside for The Refuge's homeless awareness event.

Now it's almost 4am and really cold and really uncomfortable.
The cold is not bothering so much as my back. Trying to stay comfortable is hopeless.
The other problem is the noise. My goodness if I had to do this often I would pick a place away from the road and train!!

My son however is freezing!

We just walked over to the Catholic church across the road to use the bathroom. Headed back to figure out how to make it until a little later.

We ended up in the van until 5. Then we got breakfast, packed up, and now in the van again.

We thought that if we did this again next year we were thinking of staying the night in the car. Then we could identify with those living in their cars.
We could pick a parking lot close to M-24, get a lot more people to do it with us and put big signs in our car windows. Hmmm....what do you think?
Anyway, make sure to make your One Day for The Refuge gift today. Our fundraiser is today.
Give online or stop by here until 11, or drop a check in the mail.

Sleeping outside tonight

Well there were about 40 people gathered here tonight to share a meal, prayer time, and fellowship.

Now my family, my good friend Amy and I are in our tents trying to keep warm!

We'll see just how much sleep we get. We know there is at least one homeless person in a tent tonight, so we'll get a good idea of what it's like for him.

In the morning from 9-11 we'll be gathered out here for sign brigade. It's also our One Day For The Refuge fundraiser.

Well time to go for now. Good night!

2 Top Problems in Lapeer

Whew! What a whirlwind of activity today.
Today was supposed to be a day of preparing for the National Homeless Awareness event tonight at the Marguerite deAnglei Library in town at 6pm-8pm.
It turned into more than that however.

As many of you know Tuesday evening there was a large fire that ruined some apartments in down town Lapeer leaving about 10 people displaced.

I just came from an hour and half long emergency meeting put together by Rod Smith from the Lapeer Community Church to try to put some organization to all the outpouring of aid that has been coming in for these victims of the fire.

This brought up the discussion of two main problems in Lapeer.
1. Homelessness
2. Lack of an emergency plan of action for situations like fire or natural disasters.

When something like this happens the American Red Cross steps in and does a wonderful job at handling the immediate need of shelter for about 3 days. After that, Lapeer has no other readily available assistance.

Fortunately, we were able to get somethings moving and develop a plan of action today between Love Inc. and the Housing Resource Center to aid in this situation.

Anyone wanting to know how to help please call Love Inc. at 810.245.2414
This just came in from Lapeer Chamber of Commerce

Lapeer Area Chamber of Commerce Love INC. of Lapeer will be acting as a monetary donation center for ALL of the families and individuals affected by the recent fires over the past week.

LOVE IN THE NAME CHRIST a para ministry here in Lapeer, is accepting monetary donations, cash or check. The donations will be used to provide vouchers for the families and individuals to assist them in purchasing food, housing, personal items, utility bills, etc. 

PLEASE EARMARK DONATIONS FOR:
FIRE RELIEF FUND
MAIL or DROP OFF AT ANY BRANCH OF 
LAPEER COUNTY BANK & TRUST

FOR DONATIONS OTHER THAN FINANCIAL PLEASE CALL 
LOVE INC. FIRST AS THEY HAVE HAD NUMEROUS DONATIONS OF CLOTHING ALREADY

THESE FAMILIES ARE ALSO IN NEED OF TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT HOUSING
FOR QUESTIONS OR INFORMATION ON HOUSING PLEASE CALL
SUE BRADY AT LOVE INC
810-245-2414

Find even more info. about needs here https://www.facebook.com/events/1433297223555965/?previousaction=join&source=1

In the future though, we would like agencies and concerned citizens to come together to help develop a plan that can be implemented immediately if this or another tragedy should occur.
If you would like to be involved in that, I will be posting when those meeting times will be and where. We most likely won't meet until January.

I'm glad that we are able to take action and at least in this situation we can meet the needs
But there's always the constant problem of homelessness.

We discussed the greater need of a year round shelter as well as the gaps and often disorganized problems with assistance to homeless persons.

Tonight's event is just one way The Refuge is attempting to bring about the awareness of the problem of homelessness.We will be gathering for a simple meal and fellowship and then a time of prayer.Then my family, my two friends and I will be sleeping out in a tent for the night to identify with those that even this week are homeless living in a tent themselves or in their car.

It takes a community working together to address these needs.
More importantly it demands the attention of believers, of those who claim Jesus as their savior to head the call to action.

Join me and the many others working to provide hope to those in need in Lapeer County.

What would you tell Pete?

Why can't we get along?

My friend Pete (made up to protect those involved) helps out at some local missions.
He's a real peacmaker. Always trying to see from another's point of view. Always trying to bring people together to care for one another.

The problem? 

The people in charge of some of the missions can't get along.
Even though each is important, and each one works hand in hand to meet the needs of the community, they undermine eachother sometimes.

They talk to others in the community negatively about eachother.
Sometimes even saying things that aren't true or are based on bits of miscommunicated information, or jumbled up facts.

Pete, tried to talk to them. He had lengthy conversations with some, made several meetings. Each time he went he thought that things had been settled. He thought that everyone agreed that there's been some misunderstandings and that they would all try to work together.

But despite his efforts he heard today that one of the leaders, one that he thought for sure he had come to an understanging with, said some hurtful things about another mission to someone in the community.

This community member was excited and wanted to raise some awareness for several of the missions. She was met with some harsh words, however, from this leader about one of the missions she wanted to include.

Fortunately, she wasn't put off.
She knew of the good that this mission does, that all of them do every day, and the importance of working together.
My friend Pete is devasted though.
He really thought he had made some headway in bringing peace.

So what would you do in this situation?

Would you confront the leader and ask why they said such things?
Would you ignore it since it turned out fine in the end?

Top 3 lessons this year

I haven’t posted in a long while.

I’ve been busy, and distracted.
Mostly, though I haven’t known how to put my thoughts down in any way that would be worth reading.
So, here’s an attempt to summarize the lessons I’ve been schooled in these last few months.

1. Patience

Over and over I keep being reminded of being patient. Patiently waiting on God. I want immediate results. Sometimes I think I need immediate results, something that will show me a glimmer that there’s good being done in what I do. I’ve been reading through the Gospel of John lately, and Philip Yancey’s book Reaching for the Invisible God. Every time I read from either one lately it seems I’m reminded of patience.

Just recently in a chapter of Yancey’s book I read this quote, “patience and hope are the substance of faith. Patience formed by a long memory of what God has done and hope that our faithfulness will prove worth the risk.” I like this. I will remember this when I’m feeling discouraged.

2. Cowardice

Jesus says often in the Gospels, “Fear not.” The apostle John writes “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…” In other words, the cure to fear is not a change in circumstances, rather a deep grounding in the love of God.

I have found that lately I’ve been a coward. I do things out of fear rather than love. Fear of being found lacking. Fear of being unaccepted, not good enough. I’m afraid of discomfort, pain, uncertainty, and I’ve found myself angry and irritable as a result.

Daily I have to remind myself, even moment by moment I have to remind myself that my identity is found in Christ alone. I don’t want to be a coward.

3. Forgiveness

I’ve been tripping up on anger and bitterness not only toward a few who have hurt me, but towards myself. Things in life don’t go as we expect them. People don’t always behave as you want them to, and many times we don’t behave as we ought.

Jesus is clear that we must forgive. It’s hard to forgive though especially yourself.

"Daily I pray for God to melt my heart with his love. Transformation comes, in the end, not from an act of will, but an act of grace. We can only ask for it and keep asking.” Phillip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God

My change vs. your change

Ever since the mission trip to Charleston, WV I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to make a change.

Making a change in anything takes a focused effort.

We can all agree on that.
We don't agree on what qualifies as change though.

Example:

There was a discussion at a benevolence meeting to discuss where funds should go to meet various needs within the community and abroad.
Needs such as money to support a young pastor in another state, an expensive mission trip to Haiti to build a house for a sponsor child, and relief money for an area struck by a natural disaster came up.
All of these were approved with little to no discussion.
Then the topic of a local need camp up.

This need required a small donation to help fund a purchase to help some individuals get on their way to stability.
This topic was discussed a lot. Heatedly too.
All because of our different views on change.

What was the difference between the local need and the other needs?
Nothing other than opinions on which need would bring about the desired change we want to see once the need is met.

That's it.
We look at those we help all the time and compare them, analyse them asking, "If we help will the situation change? Will the person change?"

The problem with that is we just don't agree on what "change" is and so we argue or walk away or whatever our response.
Then nothing gets done.

Everyone whether it's a homeless person, a leader, church member etc...get tripped up in some way by this concept.
I wrestle with it all the time.

When we are faced with a conflict between what we think and another person thinks we have an option.
We can stretch ourselves and consider their point of view.
We may even ultimately still disagree with them.
But to hold on to our ideas so closely that we are willing to sacrifice what's important on our altar of 'being right" only causes damage.

If we want change to happen, it takes work, patience and a willingness to see things from beyond our own ideas.

People, both homeless persons, community members, and church members all get tripped up in some way by that question.
It haunts me.
I've seen people walk away from ministry all the time because of this question.
Is there a change enough?
I wrestle with it and have wanted to walk away.