it's what the Lord has done in me

Let the Weak say I am strong
Let the Poor say I am Rich
Let the Blind say I can See
It's what the Lord has done in Me

Hosannah, Hosannah to the Lamb that was slain
Hosannah, Hosannah Jesus died and rose again

At Calvary we sing this quite often. I knew the first time I sang this song corporately, something began to click. We were all confessing and crying out to God -- giving Him credit for this, for what He has done. I download this song and have been listening to is quite a bit over the last couple of months (sorry roomates) because I tend to be extreme in volume levels -- either barely on or full out concert in my room.

I've been thinking about the words of this song and realizing that I am attracted to this song because it is the exact verbal expression and tune of what is in my heart most days. A few days a week I get to reside in an office at a church in Waco in which I meet with people from the community that are in need of assistance. These neighbors of ours come in all shapes and sizes, all types of needs. Some are drunk, some are hungry, some are mentally unstable, some are single mothers, some are homeless, some are working parents, some are disabled....... but each one has their own unique story of how and why they are in need and if given the time they are all willing to share.

I get paid to basically so listen to these amazing stories of humanity, surivival, desperation and love. When the timing is right there is something that typically happens within the conversation. Rather than giving me their story to get assistance -- as the story unfolds we find a greater need at the root. A Need for love, need for affirmation that they are doing the best they can, a need to know they are good people, a need to know that Hope still exists somewhere.

I leave most days from hearing these stories thinking about how I could have done more. I think about how I can get all of these stories out to God's people ---- but even if I did, would we act? When it gets too hard I like the fact that I can escape to TV and friends knowing that at the same time a friend of mine who shared her story, will that very night be warming water on the stove to use to bath her two kids because they cannot pay their gas bills, she will be braiding hair and collecting cans by night in order to help make ends meet because they are only living off her disability check, she will help her children with homework while at the same time working on GED homework using only one light in the house, she will fix a meal creatively with an electric skills, crock pot and toaster oven again because they do not have gas, and the list goes on.....

If you asked this woman how she kept going. How it was that she didn't just turn to drugs to escape it all, she will first not be able to answer because she will only see the bad things she HAS done and want you to know that..... and then she will say, "It's what the Lord has done in me."

All of these stories of true in my head of great people of faith right on our streets, in our public housing, in our neighborhoods of Waco. Nope, they don't look like cleaned up, educated missionaries that we grew up knowing and hearing about. Some of them have crack addictions..... but honestly, how much ugliness in our lives that WE can clean up? They don't have that luxury. They don't have an education to get them a job to hide behind, they don't have the ability to depend on family when time gets tough or to bail them out of a situation.... they have... GOD.

What would it be like to experience such desperation that your faith would be SO great because you ONLY had God to depend on?

And all the while..... we as Christians pass them on the road and pity them. Sometimes we just try to FIX them.. missing the greater point. The kingdom is here. All around us --- don't FIX mallory, just be FAITHFUL. So simple and yet complicated.