Such a busy, joyous time, this year made even busier by a family moving out this week, interviews for new families, donations, adopt a family Christmas distribution to graduate families, those in transitional housing and the families in the current rotation as well as the ever ringing phone with families in need of services.
One family is moving into a transitional home that the Family Promise board agreed to take on at the Friday board meeting. This home, offered generously by one of our supporters, will be the temporary home to Tiria and her beautiful children. Tiria and her kids hoped to be in a home by Christmas – actually they move in on Wednesday! And on Wednesday, two new families will be moving into the rotation. One family into a transitional home, two families into the rotation. First Baptist has a busy week hosting with all the changes! And so for Christmas, we will once again be full. 15 people, 10 children in the rotation of congregations on Christmas morning and 4 families in transitional housing made up of another 17 people, 11 of them children (Three families in transitional/temporary housing units and 1 family living in the home of a grace-filled volunteer). God has blessed us this year in a doubling of our capacity to serve families in a situation of homelessness through the offerings of transitional, temporary housing.
I heard Pastor Bill, at Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church spoke a couple of weeks ago about the gift of service that his congregation is allowed to host over Christmas. It was reported to me he said something to the effect that nothing could be more of the Spirit of Christmas, than serving Family Promise. I must say an AMEN to that Pastor Bill!
Over the past couple of weeks, we have been so busy with family work, interviewing new families, accepting the generous donations and gifts from people in our community, and of course, setting up Christmas decorations in the day center! This year the children wanted a little tree in their play room, and in the teen room upstairs too. Through donations, we can accommodate that request. We were able to set up a couple of nativity scenes as well, and tell the story of the season to those setting up the sets. This was one of those wonderful Christmas moments – something that really caused me to pause from the busy day center work… telling the real story of Christmas … the story of the baby in a manger … born as vulnerable and tiny as the babies in the program. Born into love, born of love. Telling this story, to a Mom, holding her with a tiny 4 week old baby… And God’s love is indeed so bright and so vivid, and so beautiful – as is this Mom and her precious daughter.
God is a light that shines in the darkness. After the horrific news of this week, and the violent death of so many people, most of whom were children, it is hard sometimes to see that light, but He does shine. He shines in the love shown to strangers through the Family Promise network here in Lawrence, He shines in the love brothers show to their older sister, as she plays violin in her concert, He shines in the telling of the story of a baby born in a manger, and watching someone who really listens. He shines in the hugs shared between graduates of the program. He shines in the support freely given by graduates to families in the current rotations. God shines in the praise given him when Tiria received the news that there was another transitional home available and that the owner would be happy to have her family move in. He shined in the joyful silence when Tiria walked into the home for the first time and pictured her children in there later this week. God shines in the 20+ organizations, businesses, and families that have adopted a Lawrence FP family for Christmas, God shines in all the love given, received, and shared through all of you in the network.
And so I pause, in a job that doesn’t allow for pauses very often. I pause to extend my thankfulness for each of you. I pause to extend my gratitude to Becky and Kendra who I get the honor of working alongside each day, to the Family Promise board who joyously serves families in homelessness, and I pause to give praise to the One Who Was, Who Is, and Who Is to Come. God with us. Emmanuel. Thank you Lord.
A very safe and wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season to each of you. May we each take some time to pause and be thankful in the moments of this season, so very packed and so very special, so very full of God’s love.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid! He said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.” Lk 2:8-11 (NLT)