Tuesday, May 29, 2007

broken but stronger...


blessed
Originally uploaded by ericblauer.

"See these broken knuckles? Broken knuckles are like broken hearts, the more they're broken the bigger they get."

I attended a Veteran Memorial BBQ hosted and run by a friend of mine in a park in our neighborhood yesterday.
There was a live band, BBQs grilling chicken and hotdogs, baked beans, potato salad. There was around 250 people there, mostly folks from the missions, the VA hospital, recovery ministries and the surrounding neighborhoods. Rough folks that have lived hard lives that are written in their faces, clothes and conversations.

But yesterday many were honored for their service for our country. They were treated with dignity, entertained and lovingly fed by a rag tag group of front-liners who love Jesus and love these neglected members of our community.

I watched a lady I know cradle a broken 19 year old man from the gay community in her arms. She counseled, held, loved and I'm sure prayed. Moments like these happen when we make a choice to live out the love of Jesus in practical ways...rain or shine. Oh and my sister is blind too but its so obvious that she truly walks by faith and not by sight.

I pray more disciple will follow the same path.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I enjoy the realness of people in recovery. I think having been down so long, they see things clearer coming up. There is an honesty hard to find elsewhere. There was a guy named Bruce we interviewed in Kicking that I met a long time after, he remembered my name and we instantly respected each other without much hoolah. I haven't found that in another group of people, including the church.


~Matt