Live among them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build on what they have. But of the best leaders, When their work is done, The people will say, “We have done it ourselves.”
-Lao Tzu
I love this quote - it has been what I've strived to do and be the past 4 years in my position of Kitchen Administrator/Head Cook at The Window.
When I first started, I knew that God has called me there for a season. Little did I know that the season would be of transforming my heart and mind into more of how God views each one of us no matter our station in life, our social status, our economic status. Whether or not we deal with social dysfunctions, emotional dysfunctions, mental dysfunctions, addictions, alcoholism, etc.
I thought that being a missionary in the poorest of areas in India had matured me and prepared me for life in the city of Goshen with the disenfranchised, working poor, homeless, widows, orphans, veterans, senior citizens. I thought I was so prepared....such was not the case. I was humbled by the horrid reality that I had assumptions, presumptions and misconceptions and yes, even judgments and deceptions of my own heart and mind towards certain life styles and cultures. My heart broke as I became more and more aware and involved in people's lives and the truth that yes, people that I know do sleep on and in the streets, park benches, baseball dugouts, woods and abandoned buildings with no electricity or heat. I became horrified that others with in my social circles were so unaware of the need in our own backyards and streets and sidewalks and parks. I was humbled at the reality of how unaware I was in my sheltered life of how a large majority of people live.
Yes, God transformed my heart and I began to learn from them and love them. I learned how to build on what they have and how they live. I learned so much and my heart has expanded to a very large capacity. They have become family to me.
I learned that one can NOT judge a book by it's cover and can most certainly NOT judge a person by the way they look. I have learned that homelessness is not always a result of laziness. There is such a myriad of reasons why someone ends up being homeless. I have heard many tragic stories over the past 4 years. I have heard some really cool stories as well. I have also learned that there are also those who take advantage of the "system", of good people, of giving hearts but just because someone is in need of assistance for one reason or another does NOT mean that they are lazy or that they don't deserve a helping hand.
My goal in being there was to be an extension of the love and kindness of God. Not matter who you are or what you've done or where you're at in life - YOU have been created in the image of God. HE loves YOU. That's it pure and simple. I wanted to be at least one person or place where each one could be valued, loved, respected and treated as I would want to be treated. There is no difference between you and me in the eyes of God. Jesus died for you no matter your addictions or the issues that you struggle with JUST AS He died for me or anyone else.
I learned and am continuing to learn that my responsibility is to love - that's it - no strings attached, no judgments, no expectations - just love. The two greatest commandments is to love God with everything that I am and then to love my neighbor as myself. I have also learned that so many people have not been brought up to love or to respect or to be kind. In order to survive in their culture or society - they have to steal or lie or take advantage. But it is NOT my place to judge. Only God knows their hearts and their motives and the reasons why they do the things they do. My place is to love. Love is the greatest force in the entire universe.
My heart soared when I would look out over the dining room and see and hear people interacting, people praying for each other, people encouraging, laughing and eating. My heart would be so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love from them to me as they helped me wash the dishes, sweep and mop the floors, carry boxes for me, take out the garbage. I remember days when someone would ask me to turn up the music and then the dancing would begin. I remember days when we would grieve together as one of our community members passed away. I remember learning everyone's name because there's something to being validated and known when someone knows your name.
I want to take this further - and not only feed people but teach them how to feed themselves. Not sure what the next season holds or where it will take me. But I do know that God is not finished with me here in the Goshen community. There is a strategy why He put it in our hearts to move to Goshen. I want to continue to learn. I want to continue to help. I want to continue to call people to higher standards for themselves. I want to continue to point people to Jesus and how He wants them to live. Not anyone else's standards but His. And I could go on but this blog has gone on long enough.........
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