Saturday was an unusual day to get our week going. We made our way around to our camps, visiting with the guys and girl. Sara and her husband Tom joined in on the fun. Robert was giddy saying, he has a place to move inside? He has said that before, so we are hoping this time it comes true. Turner was warm by his new burn pot. Denise and her friend Kevin were hanging in there. Jerry, Joey and Tex were glad to see Scott. Joey and I had the honor of hosting the 12 year old basketball team for lunch. Then we heated up pizza for the big crew of servants from The Church at Red River at the Bright House II. All this was happening while Lisa was hosting the annual Board retreat at her office.
A new bus driver was found, so we had our children show up for our afternoon learning times. It was great to have them back with us. Walking along the back of the center, we have so many tutors the parking lot is full! We are having our tutors bring their friends along, so we are enjoying more help for our children. It all makes for good afternoons.
Tuesday evening, Joey led our men's Bible fellowship. He had us reading various passages talking about finding God in different places. We know we can find God in the light, but can you find God in the darkness?
Just before we were leaving the center Wednesday, a couple of men approached Lisa about the possibility of paving our parking lot with black top they had left over from a job. Lisa was heading out the door for a presentation about Common Ground to our friends at Eagle Distributing. Late that night, the parking lot guys showed up and we now have half of our parking lot repaved, it looks great. Thanks Lisa for making it all happen.
Thursday afternoon, we got chapel started off by having our new friend Bryce from the Yellow House lead us in song. Then we had a new pastor in training from Grace, Rene' share the Word. Allison and Ms Abbie had spent two days preparing our meal. The Market was packed with shoppers. The Clothing Room had people everywhere. A great night.
I was looking for some pictures this week and found a disc of pictures Lisa's sons had put together of snapshots of Common Ground's beginnings. I brought the disk with me to chapel. We showed the pictures up on the wall and the community began to comment. Seeing old friends, some who are no longer with us, hearing stories of their experiences with them. Some pictures, asking community, do ya'll recognize them? It was great. Another reminder of where we have come from.
Most afternoons, you will find Joey in the office working on numbers. He gave me a print out of some of his findings. Last year we served over 600 families in the Market, effecting over 1200 people. There were pictures of us in the "White" House painting our 2 food pantry shelves! We served over 7000 meals last year. We had several pictures of us sitting on our "concrete" dining hall driveway. We saw pictures of a bedroom with shelves for our clothes, now we have two rooms of clothes.
Most of the work was done by a handful of people, now we are averaging over 20 servants each week. Working at the center this week in the mornings, I had forgotten what dedicated servants we have each and every week. They never get the praise because nobody is around to thank them. Pam and her dad spend hours most Wednesdays sorting, unpacking the boxes for our Market. Stephannie, Ms Abbie and a couple of other ladies go through the countless bags of donated clothes, organizing, hanging them so our community can select what they need.
There was a picture or two of the Bright House II. One picture was right after the fire, with black scarred furniture pulled out of the house sitting on the front lawn. I remember the house sitting vacant for years, not inhabitable. Now, through the hard work of over 60 servants from the Church at Red River, Momma T walked through last night picking out colors for the walls and samples for flooring to be used.
Listening to Abbey walk through the process of serving over 145 people on Thursdays to a couple of ladies from a church down the street who will be starting to feed the community one night a week. Seeing pictures of us in a dark, dreary hall and kitchen, remembering times where we were locked out and getting no help from the surrounding community.
Folks, we have come along way in a short amount of time. We get anxious at times, thinking things don't seem to be happening as fast as we would like them happen. But seeing those pictures yesterday reminded me, things are happening, a Kingdom is being formed, just the way God has it intended to be formed. It is not about moving forward as much as it is about God. How are meeting His goals? How are we doing with His relationships? How are we showing our faith? How are we trusting in Him?
What a magical time we are living in surrounded by a community of believers who are listening, praying and living a life worthy to be called children of God. Amen.
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