The slow learning of hope...

As I haved walked past the motel next to me over the past few weeks, i have heard kids playing in the little bitty space of concrete between the motel and the sidewalk. I have seen their eyes peer through the fence as i walk past, fingers sticking through, and laughter echoeing. A number of times I have tried to talk with them through the fence, but, as good little kids are taught- "don't talk to strangers!" :)
Yesterday, i decided to go over to the motel and introduce myself to this family. I had a great excuse... 4 free tickets to the IMAX theater downtown, so i fugured that would make me a bit more approachable! So-, sure enough, i rounded the corner and saw a little girl sitting inbetween the fence and her motel... she was soo stinkin cute! I asked her if her mommy or daddy or grandma/grandpa were home? And within a matter of seconds 7 people surfaced out of the dark hotel room, TV blaring- into the beautiful sun-lit day. I introduced myself as their neighbor, gave them the tickets and asked if they wanted to come play in the garden. Then i left...
no more than 15 minutes later, the three kids and their mom came over to the house and we played together in the garden for hours. I pray it is the beginning of a friendship that will bridge love and dignity, hope and opportunity to this family that is homeless (they live in a truck outside our house...they just use the motel to go to the bathroom).
The timing was ridiculous, as this week, our church recieved a grant to help enable homeless famlies to defeat the evil of the housing obstacle of paying first and last months rent (this IS what keeps most homeless people homeless!) Soo- please join us in praying for this family, that we may journey with them well....

Here is a poem that I wrote in reflection to yesterday:

The little boy said, "mommy, look!"
as he pointed
to the icon of Jesus that hangs on our wall.
You are recognizable...

to the homeless.

The man reached out his hand
squeezed mine
as he said
he wanted "to go to the arms of God"...

to the dying.

The cross swung back and forth
around his neck,
17, sczhiophrenic,
a "teddy bear one moment, beast the next"...

to the lame.

They live, 5 of them,
in a van.
3 children, 2 adults.
night time bathroom breaks are "interesting"...

she says.

They laugh as they 'pop'
open the baby pine cones to see what lies within...
Star and I gaze at one another,
Me- in awe, Her- at ease...

You are recognizable.

The poor show us the hope
that we left at the alter,
with all our crimson
and gold

we took home only the crumbs of your bread.

We merely sip of your blood.
Our gratitude, for what...a slosh?
We sleep warm, we worry much...
while ever still watching those birds in our feeders...

Yet, in YOU they trust... in YOU they are found.