Well this will probably be the last post from this blog for a while. As most have heard I have resigned my position at FBCS and will be waiting on God's calling for the next step. I am so unsure of what is next so I wanted just to update some missional areas that have been visited.
This past weekend I participated in a Homeless Village Experiment. It was quite an experience. Nine of us went through the procedures that one without a residence would as they received help from Brunswick Family Assistance. When I arrived I had only the clothes on my back and a picture ID. I went through the paper work and then I received a box of food, which consisted of 7-8 cans of food such as fruit, ravioli, beans, and chili, also some bread and crackers. Honestly, I did not even finish it all. Then I was handed a $25 voucher to go into the thrift store and purchase whatever I would need from clothes to utensils or whatever the store had. Then we were shipped in the Building Hope Ministries van to the ministry's locale in Supply. Here we unloaded and were given the layout of the land and were briefed on rules that we had to abide by. We were shown a stack of cardboard and blankets, first come first served. My son Ryan and I decided to team up and grab a healthy stack of cardboard and two blankets. We went right to work building a modest cardboard dwelling.
We started to build community among the others that had joined us in this endeavor. We noticed right off on how sharing was instinctive. Pastor John from Shallotte Presbyterian Church opened a can of Spam and instantly was cutting chunks off for each person. Rachel from the Brunswick Beacon shared the massive loaves of bread that she had acquired. It seemed that once placed in a situation that was outside the comfort of a person, people realized that God and each other was all we really had. Over the afternoon and evening we talked about how this event could be used in to raising awareness and educating the public on the problem of homelessness in Brunswick County.
It became increasingly aware that one thing was sure, night was coming and it would be cold. So we built a fire and hovered around it most of the evening sharing stories and singing praises to God. We sat quite and soaked in the experience of being cut-off from the world with no phone, computer, electronic entertainment device it was just us and the outside. We were thankful for each other and it showed. I went to bed and a couple of hours later to wake before anyone else. I saw the fire dying and decided that is was smart to make sure that it stayed lit. I stoked the fire put some more wood on and got it nice and warm again. Not much time passed when Mike Pease poked out of his collapsing abode and sat by the fire with me. Slowly but surely throughout the morning one by one people made their way to the fire. We eventually broke down our homes and tossed them on the fire. We watched with new vigor as the chill of the morning air burnt off. We debriefed with some worship and reflection. I learned a great deal about some ministries in our area that help different areas of people in poverty from the homeless to prisoner's kids.
I also learned that it doesn't take much to get involved and help. There are so many things that a person can do. However, the most important is just saying I will do something. I think that is what the love of Jesus brings out of us. It pulls the compassion out of us and causes us to move. It is not so that He will accept us but that we serve because we are accepted.
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