Last night, I unexpectedly spent the night at the shelter. I say unexpectedly, because at 7:15 p.m. I thought we had two people covering the overnight shift and I found out that we didn't... so I came home, ate with my wife and then took a nap for an hour and a half. Now I am up after only two hours of sleep this a.m.... but I can't sleep, because I am stirring this parable in my mind.
I worked with Mike March last night... and he was telling me of an experience he had last night at his church where he was cooking for an Ash Wednesday meal that they had 85 people attend last year and they planned for 110 people and they had 160 people... he said not everyone got to eat last night because they ran out of food... these were people who didn't really need to eat!
Then this morning as we were passing out lunches, I discovered that by the end of the week we will have a surplus of lunches! Yes that is right... when the last day of our shelter comes on Saturday, we will have more lunches than we need. These are lunches that are needed! The guys really appreciate them and take more than one if we have extras.
The only way I can explain it is that some groups have brought more than 20 lunches when they bring them.... and some days we don't need 20 because a few of the guys don't want a lunch or we don't have a full house. In any case, the fact that folks are preparing lunches to bless our homeless brothers has created a very generous outpouring that we have lunches galore!
It has been a truly awesome experience doing this shelter this year, like last! One of the social workers who has been a real blessing to us, as he meets needs that we can't, said to me last night that he was going to be sad to see our shelter close! He says we have the smoothest running shelter he has seen and he travels to all of them. I am so awed at the way so many have sacrificed to serve and so willingly shared Jesus' love with our guests!
I firmly believe that this shelter expereince is one experience that puts us as close to God as we can get this side of heaven!
I am one PROUD pastor!
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