I liked her purse. She was articulate and attractive. I must admit, I was a little intrigued as to why she had come to the clinic. So, I went into the patient room to talk with her. Turns out, she used to be a substance abuse counselor at the Freeman Center until she lost her job in February. Now, she is technically homeless, and she and her two kids are living with her sister. She almost cried when she told me: “I knew about this place because I’ve referred people here. I never dreamed I’d come here myself.” One unfortunate event that snowballed into homelessness…
He was a young 46. He was polite, and seemed well-educated. He told me that because of a bad decision to drink and drive, he ended up in jail. And because he didn’t have the money or means to bond out, he spent almost 4 months there. He lost his motorcycle and his job. Now, for the first time in his life, he’s homeless (staying at the Salvation Army), jobless, and with no means of transportation. One very bad decision that ended up with a man on the streets…
And there you have it: two very tangible reminders that “There but for the grace of God go I.” How fragile our situation is. How very easily our safety nets can be torn to shreds. One small snag can begin an unraveling beyond our control.
But we serve a God who has Good News… not just about our life after death, but about our situation TODAY. We serve a savior who has the power to pull us from the miry clay and deliver us to abundant life NOW. The gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t just about where we go when we die, but where we’ll sleep tonight.
Thank you, Lord, for the compassion you have to see our need, the power you have to meet our need, and your faithful promise to always be with us. Let me be part of your good news that brings healing and restoration in this life as well as the one to come.
1 comment:
Boy have I done this mental pep talk in the past few months..a million times. We have been crushed, financially, and sometimes emotionally, as we spent the past six months living in two states, and then ultimately losing almost 80K dollars of hard earned savings/equity. But I kept coming back to "We are all healthy...Jeff has a good STABLE job....we have a loving, extended family...we ARE blessed."
I know if I worked with you even one day I'd be humbled and grateful for the 800 sq foot condo the six of us are squeezed into right now. We have hope for the future. Many of your clients do not. Thank you for loving them and showing such compassion and respect for them. You're right...it could be any of us, this time next year.
Hugs from CO
Judy
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