Sacred Road ~ part 2 .... hope

I wanted to share these images of our time with the children while in White Swan. 

Each afternoon from 2-4 we would load into the cars and head over to the park. I was so impressed with how detailed the Sacred Road team was when it came to having activities for these precious children. 

The "park" was pretty much a field (filled with trash and glass) with a couple of slabs of concrete. There was nothing for the children to do .... at least until the team came. Balls, jump ropes, frisbees, crafts, sprinklers, chalk, car mat, books, bubbles, water, snacks, and a port-o-potty were the daily standard. Each day though, they had additional, different activities to mix things up, such as chalk paint, face paint, nail polish, balloons, paper airplanes, goo, or marble mazes. 

It was crazy and amazing and overwhelmingly wonderful to see these children lavishly loved on. Again, I was humbled and convicted watching the ministry of Sacred Road in action. One day a little girl came without shoes on and was immediately ushered to the team van, and out came a pair of shoes for her. It was beautiful to witness!

To what extent do I lavish good gifts on those around me? I was reminded today of Jesus' lavish love for those around Him while He walked this earth. One author puts it this way,

"Late into the night, early in the morning, walking down the road, in the middle of his supper, at home, abroad, Jesus offers. His time, his words, his touch, flowing like the wine at Cana. To appreciate the reality of it all, remember, this is not Superman. Remember his loneliness, his weariness, his humanity. This is utterly remarkable - particularly in light of the fact that this is a man on a life-or-death mission. He is lavish with himself."

And how do these kids from broken, difficult, often abusive homes feel the lavish love of Jesus? They fill His love through the Church, Christ's bride. We are the hands and feet of Jesus for them. 

I came home from our trip with many, many emotions roaring through my heart and mind. How do I leave THIS and come home to our big house and our seemingly "easy" life and ministry. The Enemy had my heart tied up in knots. Primarily with the lie that said, "True ministry is there, not here." I felt extreme guilt coming home. 

But as I processed, the Father gently began speaking truth to my heart. The word that kept coming to the surface of my mind was HOPE. Interestingly enough, the church in White Swan is called Hope Fellowship. I even purchased a shirt with the word HOPE on it. The back of it says,

"Put your hope in the LORD, 

for with the LORD is unfailing love 

and with him is full redemption." 

Psalm 130:7

As I struggled with the question, "Did us being there, with these dear children, really matter?" and "Do teams 'sweeping in' and then 'sweeping out' truly do more good than harm?" I was reminded of our last night on our trip. 

The teams had a wonderful meal together, watched a video of our week  (click here to watch), and then had a time of sharing. Two Native American adults, who grew up in this community of White Swan, were there at the meeting. They both had become Christians in their adult life and attended Hope Fellowship Church. 

Both of them shared how grateful they were that we were there and how in fact our presence in the lives of these children, though brief, did make a difference. You see, they had both grown up in incredibly sad, abusive homes, and they testified that indeed kindness offered to them as children, was used by the Lord to draw their hearts to Him as adults. 

This gives me hope.

I'm realizing in my own life, how the childhood lenses by which I viewed the world when I was young, were not always accurate. Jesus is indeed "rewriting" my own story as I look back at it through HIS lenses and invite Him to show me where He was in those wounded places in my heart and mind that I remember as a child.

This is my hope:

That one day these precious children will look back on their memories of kids' club and realize,

"Jesus WAS with me in the midst of the hard." 

"He WAS whispering truth to my heart in the midst of all the lies coming at me."

"He DOES and ALWAYS HAS loved me, despite what those around me did or said to me."

It is my great hope that Jesus will bind up their wounded, broken hearts and one day rewrite their stories. 

And it thrills me to think that we might be used by Jesus as part of their healing. 

".... a bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench, 

until He brings justice to victory; and in His name the Gentiles will hope." 

Matthew 12:20-21