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Dear Friends of Grace in Action Article
No Words

Dear Friends of Grace in Action,

A newly ordained pastor was telling an older colleague that he thought he had failed miserably in his job. It was the first funeral he had ever done. “I failed a young couple in my congregation. They lost their child to cancer and I didn’t have any words of comfort to offer them...all I could do was weep.” The older pastor placed his hand upon his young friend’s shoulder and said, “You did more than you realize.” Shortly after that conversation, the young pastor received a note from the bereaved parents. It read: “We want to thank you for your presence and compassion. So many people offered words of comfort in their effort to console us, but you did more…you wept with us.

Compassion…is to “suffer with.” That’s what we do sometimes, at Grace in Action. We listen to the concerns of our homeless guests, and we suffer with them. I often reflect on the shortest verse in scripture.

John 11:35. “Jesus Wept.”

Jesus wept with one of our homeless guests recently. The man was shaking when he walked into my office…not from the cold, damp rain that had soaked his clothing, but from withdrawal from alcohol…and from his own raw grief. He told me he was ready to take the step toward healing but he was trying to detox on his own because he didn’t have the nearly $300 fee to enter a detox facility for a few days. He wanted “wholeness” in his life and he had turned to God for the strength to see it through. It’s not easy detoxing on your own. In fact, some of our guests have been known to say, “It’s the closest thing to hell there is.”

He took a long, slow breath trying to regain control…and then he began to sob. For a long time, he couldn’t speak. Slowly, he raised his head and choked out the words, “Cindy, I told God I would see this through, I would seek healing and go into rehab…but then I asked God, “What about my dog? Who will take care of my dog?”

It was evident this man had a deep love for his canine companion. I could relate. I had just gotten a new puppy and had fallen in love with her. I knew how important his dog was to him. He shook his head, again…struggling to take a slow deep breath. I pulled my chair close to his and whispered, “It’s okay…take your time.” I was not prepared for what came next.

The deep breath wasn’t working so this time he clenched his fists in a more determined effort to hold himself together. “Cindy, the day after I asked God what to do about my dog…my dog ran out into the street and was killed…Well, I guess God took care of my dog.”

I had no words. It was my turn to try to hold myself together, but I couldn’t. My throat tightened, my own fists clenched and I heard myself wail, “Oh noooooo.” And then, all I could do...was weep.

Then, like so many of our homeless guests, the spiritual richness of this man shone through as I heard him say, “If that’s what you want Lord, then I’ll take it…I know there must be a reason.”

Only then did words come to mind.

The pastor to who said, “I felt as if I had failed…all I could do was weep."

“Jesus Wept.”

”Compassion means to suffer with.”

“Not my will, but Thy Will Be done.”

Some people wonder what good it does to suffer with...especially with those who are alcoholic, struggle with drug addictions or just can’t seem to get their lives together. “Oh well, we can’t afford to help them," says a county that has minimal funding for rehabilitation for “indigents.”

Jesus says something else. He says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The young pastor who thought he had failed…didn’t. He was present. Present to the pain and suffering of the young couple who lost a child. Grace in Action…is present. We listen, we raise funds for detox and rehab programs that our homeless guests don’t have…and sometimes…we weep with them...at the loss of a loved one, or like this homeless man...the closest companion they have.

Your volunteer presence, your financial donations and your prayers…do more than you may realize. With YOUR help, we can be present to our guests in ways they seldom experience through other service agencies. Together, with your financial assistance, we can heal the wounds of addiction.

With your help, we companion our homeless guests on the spiritual journey…even when that journey means helping them carry the cross of suffering.

May our Lord bless you as you carry the cross with us on the road to new life for our homeless guests.

Peace,

Cindy

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