Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 6:21PM Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 11:32AM It’s like a “Graduation Explosion” at my house this spring. Our twin boys are graduating from College and our daughter is about to graduate from High School.For my husband Bob and I, this means in a very short while we’ll be empty nesters. It’s a difficult season of letting go. I keep reminding myself that this is truly a season of celebration and new beginnings for us all.
This morning I gave thanks to God for our blessings. While my Husband and I have made every effort to provide our kids with every tool they need for success, I know it was truly God’s Hand providing for them. Yet behind all of my thankfulness, there is still a touch of sadness in this life transition and sometimes it feels as though my heart is breaking. But, if I’ve learned anything in life it’s this.
When God is shaking things up and stirring/breaking my heart, there’s a lesson to be learned or a message to be gleaned because God is doing a new thing. This scripture immediately came to mind.
This is what the LORD says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland...
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
Isaiah 43:16-21
This week Forever Fed has had the privilege of serving sack lunches to an adorable group of children and their families at Northwoods Apartment Homes. Check out these pictures!
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When we are done serving the kids each day, we always take some additional lunches to the small homeless camp. Here's a picture of Edgar whom I've known for 4 years now who "hangs out" in that camp.
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Yesterday I asked, “Edgar, How are you doing today?” His reply was “Not so good, I’m only doing OK”. We hugged and soon parted ways. All I had to offer Edgar was a prayer, a hug, some food, and some new clean socks. Perhaps those things brought some light into his dark day, I may never know. However today I am praising God for this homeless man I’ve come to know and love over the years. I tearfully looked up at the sky and asked, “God why did you bring Edgar into my life?”
It was then God clobbered me in the head with what I call “a brick of knowledge” and He connected the dots to form a crystal clear picture of His message for me today, I'm sure you are ready for me to wrap this blog up! LOL
Those kids I loved on and hugged on and played with yesterday presently have shelter and loving homes and families but many are living in food unstable homes. Well that’s where Forever Fed comes in. We are doing what we can to assure this group of children received proper nutrition so their little minds and bodies have a chance to develop properly. I noticed yesterday many of the teenaged boys are already taller and larger than their parents. Why? They’ve probably received much better nutrition at a young age than their parents received as children. This is a really good sign. I’d like to think Forever Fed was a teeny tiny part of their physical growth.
But God is showing me now that food and love sometimes aren't enough. He’s pointing out the HUGE gap between the tools these children have and the tools my own children have been given.
So I asked myself some pretty difficult questions.
Forever Fed has served these families at Northwoods for 18 months now and they are no longer “Clients” or “Guests” to me, they are extended family. Over time we’ve hugged, prayed, cried, and grown to love each other in many ways.
That Brick of knowledge God sent me was the realization that my nest isn’t empty at all, it’s actually overflowing. It’s scary because it’s way bigger than just feeding and loving on people, it means caring for them and worrying about the future of their children in the same way I worry about my own.
God is making a way in my life and my husband’s life for a completely new season. The powerful and almighty God who parted the seas and snuffed out the Israelite’s enemies-- is making a way in the wilderness of my community. Don’t get me wrong, Bob and I are not Moses and Aaron. We are only two of God’s children who have identified a need in our community and we serve God we know has the power to provide. Do we have everything we need to provide for our new extended family? Yes we do. We have faith in a Big God and we have love. We also "Know in our Knower" God will fill in the gaps and provide for what He has designed.
And once again, it’s time to get to work!
Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 4:33PM Susan interviewed two familiar faces, Cody and Michael, at our Scott Mill outreach in January. Cody and Michael are regular volunteers from Goshen Valley Boys Ranch. In addition to helping out with the meal side of the event, they also help out with the clothing donations from Goshen. Thanks much, Cody and Michael!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 8:10AM When you are a food ministry people donate all sorts of food to your organization. Sometimes that means Forever Fed get miscellaneous cans of soups and smaller items that we really don’t use while preparing meals for 100+ people at a time. So we put them on a storage shelf and just keep them for a rainy day.
About once a month we get an “emergency call” about a family who needs food. Delivering boxes of food to individual families is not really what Forever Fed does. We also are very cautious not to provide services that other ministries and organizations are already providing. Before I’ll take food to a family I do research to determine what kind of assistance they are already receiving. Since Forever Fed serves food to neighborhoods experiencing high need we are often the first contact many have with a food resource.
I received a call yesterday about a family who had to move into their parent’s home because of a series of unfortunate events. Both families were doing just fine and getting by while living on their own. However, because of a job loss they now had eight people living in Grandpa’s house because the adult children and grandchildren had nowhere to go. This is becoming very common behavior in America.
The Grandfather’s neighbor was the one who contacted me and told me of their situation so I loaded up some of those canned goods that were “odds and ends” and took them to this family. When I found the address it was a nice and well maintained home with three vehicles that looked to be in pretty good condition as well. Someone was under a car working on an engine and a few kids were playing in the front yard. These folks did not look like they were in very high need.
I introduced myself to the Grandfather who was fairly embarrassed that his neighbor had called and asked for help. I explained who I was and why I was there and the joy on his face was obvious. Along with the food, I was then able to give him a business card to a Church that could help him direct him to some community resources for additional food, clothing, and employment. I explained to him that there were many folks out there in his situation and that he should not be ashamed to ask for help. The shame would be if they continued to spiral downward because they were too shy to ask for assistance. The ultimate shame would be if they all ended up on the streets because the group could not pay their bills.
This man, looked down at his feet for a few minutes, and then he looked up and smiled at me. He said, “Your right”. He asked a few more questions about available services and I told him what I knew and who he should contact.
These types of families are the new “poor” in America and they live right next door to every one of us. I know this because I’m delivering groceries to your neighbors. No neighborhood is immune to joblessness and hard times. This family had no idea of the resources that were available to them because they’d never been in this situation before. It took a concerned neighbor to make one phone call for a box of groceries and an outsider to tell them they had options. I was able to plant the seed of a thought that help was available and give a little encouragement. This family is much closer to homelessness than they know. I’ve conversed with people we serve who have nothing and I’ve learned they almost always follow a common path to homelessness. That path looks something like this.
So what can we do? Be a neighbor to those in need.
Chances are there’s someone living right next door to you that could use a helping hand. Help these pre-homeless families stabilize before they hit rock bottom. There are many resources available to your community that help those in need, find out where they are. Help these families see there is no shame in needing help and offer to go with them to seek assistance, encourage them along the way.
With proper encouragement, joblessness is only for a season. Without encouragement, joblessness becomes hopelessness and we all know where that leads.
Be a neighbor.
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.” Romans 15:1,2
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 2:33PM About 2 weeks ago I ordered 24 boxes of Red Velvet Cake mix from the Atlanta Food Bank for making cupcakes for our Kid's Bible Club Event in February. The large box containing the cake mixes got placed on the storage shelf without further thought until yesterday. I spoke with Lorraine Rose (she's in charge of the meal at Kid's Bible Club) and she asked me "So how many boxes of cake mix are there?" and of course, I didn't remember and told her I'd get back to her with a count.
Today I made a trip to the Atlanta Food Bank again to pick up our ordered food and had an opportunity to "shop the floor" for discounted items available. It's kind of like big treasure hunt at the Food Bank Shopping Floor because you never know what you are going to find. One box I found had a bunch of Cream Cheese blocks in it and I thought "Why Not?" so I placed the box on my cart and went on my merry way.
Later, at our Kitchen, I was putting the groceries away and I thought, "Lord, I don't know what I'll use all of this cream cheese for but I'm sure I'll think of something.
Can you see where I'm going?
Well, my "light bulb finally lit" and I said "Duh" out loud to the empty kitchen and just started laughing.
Of course we'll use the cream cheese in the frosting for the cupcakes. I was tickled because God new we needed it even if I didn't. Not only that, He provided it for $.08 a package. Wow!
Before I left the kitchen I went to go and count boxes of cake mix for Lorraine. As I opened the large box with all of the cake mixes in it I discovered 24 boxes labeled "Righteous Red Velvet Cake Mix".
I swear it's true! Righteous Red Velvet Cake Mix, who knew??? I'm still laughing.
Now...some people don't believe that God cares about cake mixes and cream cheese and He certainly doesn't care about small things like cupcakes for a bunch of kids. I am not one of those people.
God has provided everything Forever Fed has ever needed. Everything. Food, a truck, dollars, volunteers, hugs, encouragement, you name it, He's provided for it and He continues to blow me away with His abundant blessings. When days like today happen sometimes I look up at the clouds and say, "Now Jesus, you are just showing off again!" and smile.
I don't know what you are going through. It seems as though this is a season where many individuals are experiencing hardships of one kind or another. Sometimes it's hard to believe that God cares about how our days go but He does. I know He does.
Surely, if God cares enough to provide "Righteous Red Velvet Cup Cakes with Cream Cheese Icing" for Kid's Bible Club kids to celebrate their birthdays, He cares about what you are going through as well.
There's an age old saying "The Devil is in the Details" well that may be true, but today I discovered "Christ is in the Righteous Red Velvet Cup Cakes"! It's all just a matter of connecting the dots!
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Pslam 139:13,14.
If you'd like to help serve these Righteous Cupcakes in February click on the volunteer page and let us know! We'll be contacting you ASAP with details. God Bless!
