I spent last week with my youngest son, Seth, on a mission trip serving the Houston area. I would write ‘the less fortunate’ or the ‘needy’ or the ‘poor’ but it doesn’t sit well with me. I am just as unfortunate, needy and ‘poor’ as they are and it is only by …what? grace? luck? circumstance?…that I am not on the streets right now.
That is what I learned. How quickly life is like a whiplash and we are stunned and turned around. Where am I? What am I doing? WHO am I?
I sat at a picnic table across from a woman who was once beautiful. I could see it in her deep sea green eyes. I listened to her tell me how she got to this point and I thought, “But only by the Grace of God am I…”
I feel this with such intensity today it has me a little discombobulated. My life is not perfect. Not in the least. And when I write these blogs I am for the most part writing TO MYSELF…trying to encourage ME…convince ME…heal ME. And if they help others then what a blessing in return.
We can’t please anyone but God. And in working to please Him then we will be who He longs for us to be and those who are meant to be in our lives will be pleased because they see HIM and not ME.
Allow me to share a bit of what last week was like through pictures. And I pray you are blessed in your own lives…looking to HIM to give you the grace you desire.
Keeps me thankful.
After work we had the treat of listening to the men’s choir (all men who had been living on the streets but now are working to better their lives.)
We ended our week by working at Fishes & Loaves, a soup kitchen in the heart of downtown Houston feeding the homeless directly off the streets. Seth’s group joined with mine and two others to create for a memorable day.
The SHINE Catholic Work Camp was an unexpected blessing for me and Seth and I am grateful to God and to all of His people that we were able to meet throughout the week to show us a picture of true Grace.
Be blessed this week.
Shannon