Fake I.D.s

Many of us may be walking about with fake I.D.’s. By this, I mean we are not living out life as the person God says we are, but rather who we think we are.

Since God likes to use people in keeping His promise to supply our needs, I put out a sign-up sheet a while ago asking for help with some painting at the outreach center. I was specifically giving the folk who receive goods from God through Water Street Rescue Mission the opportunity to help upgrade the place. We had a few sign up but none actually came on the designated day.

How, when, why, where, and who we serve or don’t serve will always be determined by who we think we are. Working in outreach over the last few months one thing has become clear to me. People who volunteer to serve do so out of a perception of who they are and whose they are. Most of our volunteers would say they know they are people of God and have something to offer. Many come with an understanding that they are missionaries of sorts serving here at the rescue mission.

Those who receive services through outreach also have a perception of who they are. How we interact with one another either confirms or dispels what we believe to be true about ourselves. Many of those served see themselves as the mission field only. Do we confirm that identity or dispel it? While it is true that they are receiving from God according to God’s promise it is unfortunate if that is all they see about themselves.

The same holds true for those considering themselves missionaries exclusively. Do we confirm or dispel that illusion? It is unfortunate if the only role they perceive for themselves is that of the giver. People assuming themselves to be missionaries have to learn how to live by faith before they can truly be effectively used of God. By effective I mean that God’s purpose is fulfilled - that the givers and receivers are all blessed. God’s people must know how to receive graciously in order to be gracious givers.

No individual is merely mission field or missionary. We are all both. It is in learning to be gracious receivers from God that we become capable of being gracious givers. Believe it or not we all play a vital role in shaping the identity of the people we interact with. Let’s be careful that our identities are not misshaped and that we don’t misshape the identities of others. Those who see themselves as mission field only will never volunteer to serve because they assume the role of receivers only. They miss the blessing God promises when we give of ourselves. Those who assume they are only givers have taken on the role of God and that role is already filled.

- Conrad Moore, Outreach Ministries

A day in the life of Water Street volunteers…

Water Street is a place where you can go to feel happiness and love coming off everyone’s face. Ever since our mom got a job at Water Street we have wanted to volunteer.

Before we came to Water Street we knew that something was missing in our lives. We didn’t quite know what. When our mom got the job at Water Street we knew that volunteer work was our calling from God. We have come down to Water Street frequently and we love it. The atmosphere at Water Street just puts a smile on your face and a feeling of joy in your heart.

We have helped out at many of the events at Water Street. We helped face paint at the Open House and had a memorable time. We also enjoyed everything about working at the Golf Tournament. Everything except for the fact that we woke up at 5:30 in the morning!

Working with the people at Water Street have helped us look at people differently. It has also given our hearts a boost for caregiving for the rest of our lives.

- Naomi and Esther, age 14

Real people

As a volunteer in women’s ministries, I assist counselors in the evening. Simple tasks like marking off each woman when she checks in for the evening or getting sheets and towels for a new resident allow me to slowly build relationships. It also gives me a chance to simply hang out with real people who happen to be homeless.

Last night when one resident checked in for the evening, her makeup was smeared and her eyes were red. I knew that she could have quite a temper, so at first I simply greeted her and did the necessary paperwork. Later I had a chance to talk to her briefly and learn just a bit of her pain. She has a 6-month old daughter who was taken away by Children and Youth. Her 2-year-old daughter, who she hasn’t seen for about a year and a half, is living with her sister. Someone at work that night apparently knew these facts and others, and made some harsh comments. The truth often hurts. At just 22, this young lady is experiencing a lot of guilt. I’m not sure that she sees her life in God’s perspective – that she is His beautiful creation, that He loves her and has actually already cancelled her sin if she’ll only believe.

So much of her life is ahead of her… plenty of time to fix things and still be a mother to her children. Please pray she will not give up. Pray she will fall in love with Jesus and never let go. And as she’s on this journey, pray for the staff and volunteers who interact with her…that we may offer real help that will empower not enable.

- Maria Ream, Development Department

Taking it home...

When I originally started my job as a counselor [at the Lydia Center], my boss told me "don't take it home with you," and I thought 'sure...I leave the paperwork at work.' Not so. It's not the paperwork that goes home with me. It's the precious hearts and pain and disciplinary issues of the ladies that go home with me.

• Some days all their requests and the chaos and noise make my head spin.
• Some days the attitudes make me want to shake them and tell them to grow up.
• Some days the angry outbursts make me want to hide under my desk.
• Some days the refusal to talk and share of themselves during counseling makes me want to scream, or at the very least walk out of the room for a bit 'til my impatience calms down.
• Some days I mourn as I see the continual hardening of a life, or when another lady chooses to leave...unchanged.
• Some days (like today) I am priveleged to pray with ladies as they commit their lives to Christ for the first time.
• Some days I rejoice at an "aha" moment, or b/c of the emotional and spiritual healing that God is doing in their lives.
• Some days I love them so much I cry...because I want so much more for them than they want for themselves.
  

I find I am learning at the Lydia Center the things I most wanted (when initially taking the "job") to learn:

1) Not to stereotype, judge, or look down upon people who are living in addictions, sexual immorality, and crime, b/c in my heart I have the same exact pain and sins...I only choose less physically destructive and more legal coping mechanisms, and hopefully allow myself to be convicted of my sin and live in a lifestyle of confession and forgiveness.

2) The heart of the Father. Surely He feels some of these things when He deals with me!

3) To be stretched. Oh yes, WAAAAY out of my comfort zone! But that is good. Because He is good and He is with me in the stretching. I had a thought the other day that (like a rubberband) God only stretches us to the point that He wants to launch us. So I'm getting excited about what He's preparing to launch me to in my future. Yet for now I will be stretched...b/c I am called here and my heart is here.

I am thankful for the heart of compassion that Christ has given me for these precious ladies, and I only hope that I will be faithful to love them with His love, to see them with His eyes, to walk with them to the best of my ability during this crucial time of their lives.

-Lorene Brubaker, Lydia Center

Testimony

When a friend from church died, I was looking in the Obituary column, I discovered this "testimony" of Madelyn "Tootie" Dixon who died in 2006 ( "In loving memory of"... by her family).

I thought is was so good, I cut it out and want to share it with others:

When I said..."I am a Christian"
I wasn't shouting "I'm clean livin."
I was whispering, "I am lost"
Now I'm found and forgiven.

When I said...."I am a Christian"
I wasn't bragging of success.
I was admitting I had failed
And needed God to clean my mess.

When I said..." I am a Christian"
I wasn't holier than thou,
I was just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow.

- Arlene Snyder, WS Clinic Volunteer

Teamwork

Imagine a football team. In its ideal condition each player does his part to support the whole, under the direction of special team’s coaches, who in turn support the assistant coaches, who likewise support the head coach.

In this idyllic world, the Offensive Coach focuses on offense in full trust that the Defensive Coach is working on defense, and vice versa. Each one knows his best contribution to the team is two-fold: do his job and trust the others to do theirs.

In team sports there are three things which will bring the team concept to its knees:

1. Coaches who second guess other coaches: each coach is chosen for his expertise in some area. It is destructive to the team (and very silly) for the Offensive Coach to believe he would have made a better decision than the Defensive Coach made in some situation. This presumes that the one had all of the same information and expertise as the other, which is always untrue. We cannot possibly know what we would do in a situation until we sit in the seat of the decider. We must trust the other coach and focus on our own area, or the team fails.
2. Players who second guess other players: a good coach will never allow players to undermine team morale by negative assertions about other coaches or other players. Effective coaches will redirect a disgruntled player to the team goals and specifically, to his own contribution to team play. If the coach listens without redirecting, team morale will fracture and the team will fragment into isolation and competing interests. Our own personal disappointment must be set aside for the good of the team.
3. Murmuring to others about someone else: nothing is more destructive inside a team than this. It is the thread that connects items 1 & 2 above. Expressing negativity about others, instead of to them, is like pouring acid on the team; it eats away the foundation upon which teamwork is built: Trust! To foster trust we must all agree to two abiding principles: 1) believe that others are doing their best, and 2) never speak negatively about them; only to them.

We at WSRM are a team, assigned to the most important ministry in the universe. We are most effective as we work as a team. This work is too important not to. We are a part of something bigger than ourselves.

- Aaron Eggers, Men’s Ministries

Fathers Day Reflections...

...Having a good dad was nice. I just wish that he hadn’t died when I was twelve.

…This is my dad and mom. They came all the way from Missouri to visit with me.

…My dad was a monster and I was his evil twin.

…My daughter checked in to the women’s shelter last night. Do you think it would be okay to see if she would be willing to talk to me?

…My dad moved halfway around the world to fight a war. When he was done fighting, he just left…without me.

…I miss my children; I’m resentful toward my dad; but, I’m becoming grateful toward my heavenly father. Please pray for me.

…My dad and my children are dead.

…My daughter wrote to me and still wants me to be in her life.

…My daughter and I used heroin together.

…Look what my daughter gave to me: Dad—So much has happened in this past year and through it all I believe you have become a much stronger and better man…and father. You are and always will be my Daddy. I love you and hope you have a great Father’s Day.

- CLD Program Men

Who do these mattresses belong to anyway?

Note: Occassionally, other ministries and congregations contact us to see if we can assist them with a pressing need they might have as they attempt to serve their congregations and communities. When the Lord supplies sufficiently through our faithful donors, and the partnership fulfills our mission, we attempt to help as we are able. Being good stewards of what the Lord provides and staying faithful to the donor's intent are high priorities when making these decisions... God has a way of helping us know how to respond as well...

This week a camp called asking if we have any extra single mattresses we could give them since they needed to replace a bunch at their camp. We have a good supply of them on hand so I gave them a smaller portion (33) of what we had available (not meeting their entire need), since we do need to look out for our own needs too.

Just after he left this morning with his second load, I was asking Maurice (our food services coordinator) how to know when you should give away all that God has given to us and when to hold back something for our own use. Arriving back in my office I got a call from Conestoga View wanting to donate 100-150 single mattresses!

God will meet all your needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus! Thank you Lord for this reminder when I am so slow to get it.

-Dean Wenger, RDC

Eyes front

Did you ever walk by someone who lives on the street and look the other way, hoping they wouldn’t notice or, God forbid, speak to you? The temptation to react this way is huge, and society teaches us that this is an acceptable reaction to poverty and homelessness.

We’ve become so comfortable with poverty and homelessness that we hardly notice their end results. As a former resident of Chicago and Boston, my ability to see without noticing became finely tuned, although having this ability didn’t alleviate the nagging feeling there was more going on here than meets the eye.

I have the opportunity to interact and work with our clientele on a daily basis and I can tell you that each one of them has a life history filled with many of the same things as you and me. The biggest thing that usually separates us is a few decisions along that way the either of us could have made differently.

I recently had the privilege of having my teenage step-son (Daniel) spend a day with me at the mission. During that day, he spent several hours working with one of our clients (Don) and the two of them developed a real connection. As we were driving home that day, Daniel said to me “I really like Don. We had a great time together, he’s a great guy!” I agree; I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Don and he is a special person. The next thought that came into my head was: how would Daniel and I have reacted to Don if we’d met him on the street instead of at the Mission? It’s upsetting to me that there was a time when I would have discounted Don as a person and just walked past him while trying to avoid looking at him.

We can’t all work at a rescue mission, nor should we, but there is more you can do. I invite you to take a moment to consider your reaction to poverty and homelessness, based on only one idea: there’s a real person of God’s creation under the rags, the smell, and the dirt. It’s very likely that this person under the rags is someone that could have a real impact on Daniel, me, and you if given the chance. You don’t have to give money, cars, or even your time to our clients or those still on the streets, but I invite you to consider giving them your love, respect, and most of all, your prayers. Look them in the eye and say hello, you might be surprised at the good it does for both of you.

- Scooter Haase, Operations

Grace-based Ministry

A Father recounts the following story[i]:

“When my daughter Abrielle was four she came running down the hall screaming, "I don't want to die! I swallowed a stone!" I immediately determined that nothing was obstructing her throat but she was still in a panic."It's OK, sweetheart. You're not going to die," I said. She thought I didn't understand. "But I swallowed a stone! It was a blue one!" she emphasized, as if I should realize this was a particularly deadly stone.

Apparently, a babysitter, in order to discourage her from putting things in her mouth, told her she could die if she swallowed the wrong things, and to Aby, that included polished stones I'd given her. I assured her she was in no danger; that the stone would come out in the morning when she went "poo poo." She ran to the toilet, "I want it out now!" She was pushing so hard it looked like a blood vessel would burst. She was frightened and desperate.Moments like this test and refine your values. Truth and reason weren't working. So I lied."I know what to do," I said, and I ran to get a spoonful of maple syrup. "Here, swallow this syrup. It will melt the stone." "Will it be gone?" she asked. "Absolutely," I replied. She swallowed the syrup and announced triumphantly, "Daddy melted the stone. I'm not going to die." The emergency was over, but I hated lying to her. Though I worried she would never trust me again, I had to tell her the truth a few weeks later. Today, she's almost nine, and I heard her using the story to tell her sisters that her daddy always takes care of her. Funny, she trusts me even more.”

The Father in this incident stumbled on something deep: ‘Truth is really important, but trust is the ultimate treasure.’

Trust and Grace

At Water Street Rescue Mission, we are asking this question: ‘Is what we are doing, thinking, or saying building or undermining the potential for building trust?’[ii] Our mission to skillfully share the gospel leads us to establish a trust bond with each resident, with conviction of this culminating in ‘a resident trusting God.’[iii] So to effectively share the gospel we must do all we can to encourage this bond of trust with the men, women, and children who come to our door.

But getting someone to trust is not easy. Accordingly we promote this trust by encouraging an atmosphere where grace lives. That is, we motivate others to begin to trust us by always operating in their best interest – which is our practical definition of grace. And this grace is what draws others to a relationship with God.

This culture of grace is neither license nor law. It is a place where both resident and staff member can freely acknowledge their position in this process of becoming more like Jesus. It is a place of safety where weaknesses and failure provide glimpses into the deeper issues of the heart. It is a place of risk where staff members are vulnerable and residents are held accountable to their choices. And it is a place where true heart change occurs not through compulsion or coercion to conform but by the prompting and power of the Holy Spirit.

- Steve Brubaker, Residential Ministries
[i] The Blue Stone and the White Lie, told to me by Brad Hoopes
[ii] See, Christianity Confronts Culture, Marvin Mayers, Zondervan, pp. 32-33.
[iii] Ibid.

Perspective...

Someone once said, of God, that He is “Lord of the Heights of Faith that can calm the troubled soul and Lord of the Depths of Fear that can tear such Faith apart”.

In our line of work, we daily come face-to-face with both extremes. Most everyone who finds our doors genuinely desires change; they want a reprieve from a life of choices that just do not work. For a brief moment, all are touched by God and by his life-changing faith. But few will find this place of life-change, because the personal “cost” is just too great. Most desire the better life but find little value in the need to die well (to self) in order to have that better life. This means a return to faith-rending fear.

As a leader (and as a daily-recovering addict to self-exaltation) my constant prayer is for Perspective. This world (Water Street Rescue Mission) that I so dearly love is full of destruction and death (and a few visible victories). In my middle-of-the-night prayer times, the burden of pain often seems unbearable. Yet always He comes very softly, holds me close, and reminds me of just Who He Is (and of who I am not). He also reminds me of the day (about a year ago) that I stepped into His absolute contentment that makes these nightly “deaths to self” have value. He reminds me of His absolute Sovereignty and of the fact that He is Good. He reminds me of how, since His lovely Jesus traded His Righteousness for the Sin of all humanity, He is able to use even Sin to shape us into His Image.

Truly, “He is the Lord of All; of the seen and unseen things; of the creation that proclaims Him; of the power not to sin. He has always been and always will be Lord of All”.

- Norm Lowry, Men’s Ministry

Complaining

“There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The people blamed Moses and said, ‘If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into the wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates and no water to drink!’” (Numbers 20:2-5 NLT)

The children of Israel were always complaining about food, water, and where God had placed them and where He was taking them. God showed me that when I complain I am saying, “God, what you have provided for me is not good enough!” What causes me to complain? When my eyes are focused on my surroundings and not on Jesus, I complain. Like the children of Israel I tend to focus on my surroundings (what I have and what I don’t have). When I find myself in the wilderness, I often complain, not realizing that God is the one who led me there and if God brought me to a place of wilderness then it must be a good place for me.

Just like the children of Israel I start to blame other people. The children of Israel cried out for freedom for 400 years. God answered their cry and sent Moses to bring them out of captivity and still they complained all the time, not realizing that although they were in the wilderness, they were free! Just like me – when I was dead in my sins, I cried out to the Lord to save me and He did. I still complain about the hard place in life that He has me in not understanding that though it may be a hard place, I am free!

Also when I am in the wilderness I tend to take my anger out on other people blaming them for where I am just like the children of Israel blamed Moses and Aaron. I have to realize that I am not fighting against flesh and blood, but the enemy of my soul. It is so easy to focus on people and blame them because we can see them.

When in the wilderness I have to understand that God has not brought me there to die, but rather He has brought me there so that I might have a more abundant life in Him. He is using the wilderness experience to mold and shape me into His image. So I have to understand that what God has provided for me is good enough, even the wilderness.

- Nicholle M. Norton, Wonder Club teacher

Treasures...

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth; where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven; where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

Being involved in the learning center has been great. I am learning a lot. I recently took and passed three of my five GED tests. The learning center has taught me a lot about myself. I am discovering the value of slowing down and of asking for help. My need for rushing through life is disappearing.

A lifetime of making wrong choices brought me here. My life is coming together now. I have eight months sober and a vision which includes hope for a bright future. I am looking into options for College; seeking God’s direction. It is my desire to step into His design for me. I did not believe in God before I came here. I’m glad that He believed in me.

The Chaplains and Staff are so good and kind. They are a loving family to me. Prior to being here, I had not experienced stability in my life. It is great to feel wanted and loved by so many. If it were not for the Mission being here I would be dead. And, if it were not for the people who have donated money and resources, I would not have had a chance to survive. I am grateful. I am simply one of the many people who count on the mission being here every day. I see God’s work being done here, in me and others.

The bible says that we shouldn’t lay up treasures for ourselves on the earth but that we should give our lives to helping others. When we get to heaven, we will receive our real treasure—Eternal life with God. This is so cool; I can’t wait to see the streets of gold. All it took was faith in the One who will love me forever, no matter what mistakes I make.

Thanks to My Savior…

- Lester Laughman (Men’s Ministry Intern)

Sorry...

Once again, I need to apologise for the gap between entries. No excuse, just life and work and general distractions.

I will try to do better... In fact there should be a new one posted in a few minutes.

Thanks for your forgiveness (I hope that's not presumptuous).

-Jack Crowley, inconsistent blog administrator

Medal of Honor

I recoil inside when a homeless guy starts spouting off about all he can do, if he’s quick to detail his exploits, or if he too readily knows all there is to know about something. I don’t know exactly why but inside I wonder whether his next step is relapse or a fall or something worse. To me it seems that a resident’s bragging and posturing provide cover for unacknowledged uncertainty and doubt. And certainly, I would never brag about all I know and can do!!! Right?

Bragging and posturing present quite a contrast with a book I read recently detailing the lives of the 100 or so Medal of Honor recipients who are still living. The Medal of Honor is the “highest award for valor in action against an enemy force, which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.” The fascinating thing about the medal recipient’s stories is that few of the men seemed extraordinary prior to their heroic act. As a matter of fact, they were remarkable for their ordinariness. Coming from places like Terre Haute, Indiana, Shelley, Idaho, Wakefield, Rhode Island, and Tichnor, Arkansas they seemed quite everyday and not necessarily destined for recognition or greatness. To a man there was a modesty of behavior and a willingness to remember others who performed similarly in the direst circumstances possible.

Interesting isn’t it? How such a high honor could be received and worn with such humility. Each of these men were willing to commit their very lives to something bigger than themselves – honor, country, another’s welfare – even to the point of death. And each responded without allowing their fear to dictate their actions. May we, who are called to an even bigger task – that of putting our lives on the line for Christ – be found so modestly faithful.

- Steve Brubaker, Residential Ministries

Being part of a community...

I enjoy being a part of community and am learning to have quality interaction with others. Getting input from people who care is important. Doing my best without being a fake has become important, too. For most of my life, I burned myself out doing things over and over just to please others. It is exciting considering new options that I think of myself.

My false beliefs led me to think that I was no good; that I would never be able to do enough; that I would always fail; that I would always be alone. Exposing them has been helping me to see that I have high value and good ideas. I have hope just knowing that God will never leave me; that He will always be by my side. There are also people who want to be with me. I used to just walk away from problems and conflict. My new way is to sit down and try to work things out. People are encouraged by my kindness. I try to treat people the way I want to be treated.

In the Learning Center, I have given my all. It is something I want so I will keep pushing until I make it. My biggest negative has been trying to work things out for myself (I am making progress on this one). I am learning to value consistency and input from those who are trying to teach me new things. My biggest positive is in learning to evaluate my choices and to find perspective in my decision making.

I try my best to be there for my friends; to help them out. Some say that I am an encourager. Being a part of community is something to really care about.

- John (Men’s CLD Program)

Missing a friend...

On March 18, we lost a dear friend, sister and fellow Servant, Joanne (Taylor) Horton. Joanne was a Teen Haven kid, starting as a camper and progressing as a junior counselor and cabin supervisor, even after leaving for college and graduating, she continued to return to Teen Haven to disciple young ladies as they learned to follow Jesus. She went home to be her Lord on Sunday the 18th, the autopsy showed she had an enlarged heart (watching her live her life for Christ and for others, we were not surprised).

Her Obituary:

JoAnne Jacqueline Taylor was born July 19, 1979 to the late Joan Rice and George Small in Philadelphia, PA. “Jay” as she was so affectionately called by those who loved her, was educated in the Philadelphia Public School System. She continued her education at Community College of Philadelphia, proudly completing her Associates Degree in Bible at Lancaster Bible College May 2006. At LBC “Jay” directed the campus gospel choir. She also worked in the Library and cafeteria, touching the lives of many, in fact she was referred to as “Jay the jolly food service lady.”

After a long friendship with a fellow servant of the Lord, Jay knew the soul mate that God called for her. While serving at Teen Haven Ministries, God gave the anointing seal of approval for the union of Rodney and JoAnne Horton, December 9, 2006. JoAnne and Rodney made Middletown, PA, their home.

As a child she loved to play with her brothers and sister. She loved all of her family unconditionally. She was determined to complete her life goals.

At a young age she accepted God as her personal Savior at Galilee Baptist Church. Jay became involved in Teen Haven Ministry. She led many young girls to Christ. She was burdened for the lost souls in her cabin. Her favorite cabin was #8.

Jay loved children so much she would baby-sit for anyone, anywhere as long as transportation would allow. Her vision was to co-own a day care center with her cousin, Shawnik Rice, named “Building Bridges International Foundation.”

January 2007 JoAnne was employed by Crosspoint United Methodist Church as a kindergarten teacher. She loved the children at Crosspoint, she carried their burdens home and prayed for them. The children called her Mrs. H, Mrs. Jay, or Mrs. Teacher.

Jay had a special relationship with her grandmother, Mary Rice who has since followed her home.

Jay leaves to mourn, her husband of three and one half months, Rodney Horton of Middletown, PA, Father George Small of Philadelphia, PA, two brothers and one sister of Philadelphia, PA, Wayne, Kevin, and Kathy, one brother-in-law Charles, also of Philadelphia, PA and one brother-in-law Corey of Mississippi. A host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and an abundance of friends.

Volunteering—through the eyes of a Learning Center Tutor…

Coming to Water Street Rescue Mission to volunteer is one of the most exciting steps I have ever taken. After a year and a half of a college education at Millersville University, I have started to learn who I am as a person in God, in the classroom, and in the world. Volunteering in the Learning Center has given me the opportunity to spread my wings and practice the lessons I have learned in the classroom. It has also taught me lessons that are unable to be taught in the classroom.

One of the most exciting things I have been learning by volunteering is the mission of WSRM and the Learning Center. As a born-again, Jesus-seeking Christian, I value and am passionate about having others come to know Christ. The fact that this is the mission of the agency as well as the staff is so exciting. By seeing the passion in Norm and Sue, I have developed a passion to see the students in the Learning Center come to a true relationship with God as well. My passion keeps growing as I get to know each of the students in the learning center and hear their stories. Some are still searching for something to fill the void but some are new Christians fervently seeking the will of God and that is what fuels my fire. Most people getting started into volunteering are seeking to help others. This is what I was expecting but I feel that the students and staff in at the Learning Center have taught me so much more then I could ever teach them.

- Kara (Millersville University Student)

Playing left-handed

This morning Jere and I played racquetball left-handed. It sure felt awkward hitting with our off hand but after awhile things got just as competitive. We chose to play with our weak hands due to the tendonitis lacing through his right forearm. And somewhere in the middle of our second game, Jere remarked that we were at least ‘strengthening our weak areas.’ And I had to stop and think about that. And you know there was deeper benefit than just pain relief.

As I survey the landscape of my Christian life and remember many who have walked beside me, I am reminded of some who have ‘lost the faith’ and by all appearances are no longer living a life of belief. And I wonder. Could these have ‘lost their faith’ through the disillusionment of trying to live a life free from imperfection? Could they have thought a life without weakness possible when this world has been so infected by sin?

When was the last time you heard the preacher acknowledge any personal struggles from the pulpit? Or the people next to you in the pew speak of their wearisome marriage? Or believing colleagues talk of an inclination toward porn, their desire for someone’s wife, or their inability to control their anger? How difficult it is to admit struggle and difficulty or even that some things are yet to be resolved!

May you be encouraged in your weakness today! It is in this failing that God shows up and becomes obvious.

My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. 10 Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

-Steve Brubaker, Residential Ministries

The grind in my soul

There is a man who comes drunk to the mission each time he comes, nearly every night. Here is the grind:

• Do we continue to provide services in the hope of eventually breaking through, even though he chronically exploits our mercy? If so, he may take our decision as permission to continue his behavior and die from his addiction.
• Do we discontinue providing services in the hope that hard consequences will help bring the breakthrough? If so, he may die from the elements or some accident while drunk.

Who is qualified to make such a determination? Who can be certain of the outcome of either choice?

If you already think that you know which answer is ‘right’, be careful. It cannot be decided ahead of time. It is not ‘one size fits all’. Both options have a place in addiction recovery.

It must be decided one person at a time. It must be decided in the context of relationship. It must be decided in the best interest of the person –not according to ‘policy’. It must be decided apart from our own like or dislike of the person.

Who can do that? Who can be sure that they are objective enough to be certain of the ‘right’ choice for each person? Not me! Yet, I have to make this decision every day.

That is the grind in my soul.

And here is all I know to do about it:

• Listen to hear the man’s heart
• Invite input from others
• Stay very close to Jesus
• Remain conscious of my own issues
• Be ready to change the decision at any time it seems appropriate
• Brace myself for the onslaught of criticism that will follow every new decision

The grind in my soul is good. I wouldn’t have it any other way. This work is too important to be easy.

-Aaron Eggers, Men’s Ministries