Kathy's Praise Report

The importance of what LIA does was obvious last week when Pery had the wisdom to ask how many people were eating with us for the first time. I must say I was shocked to see at least 50 hands go up. I have also heard many times people come and say thank you after the 10-minute inspiration. They were glad they had come and would be back.

The equal importance of feeding them God's hope and encouragement, as well as their stomaches, comes from the next three reports: Diane was gracious enough to treat me to the lst Baptist Church Christmas Pageant. On our way out, an usher stopped us and thanked us for "Thursday nights at Meatloaf." The first night he came a few years ago, he heard something that "changed his life" (didn't say what) and he got off the streets, was now a member of 1st Baptist and couldn't thank us enough.

Last Thursday a couple came up to me to say, "Thank you for Thursday nights at Meatloaf." It was our inspiration talks which helped them make the decision to leave town and get off the streets. It has been three years of sobriety for both, they are back in town with their own place and they wanted us to know how much we had helped.

I got a call this week from a former friend from the streets. He, too, was calling just to say he has been sober for five years thanks to meatloaf Thursday nights, and how grateful he was for all the hope and encouragement we fed him each week .... that and the great food kept him going, and he just wanted us to know.

Last but not least, we had B. with us last Thursday. She was suicidal over the death of her 3-year-old son the day before. Needless to say she was very angry with God, and when she heard the feeding was at a church she kept saying, "I won't go inside of one the way I feel." Erika sent her to me. I tried to give her some privacy in the church, but she would not sit inside the chapel part. She said, "I don't even know why I agreed to come here, but I needed to eat."

After ministering to her, all she wanted was a pair of 6 and l/2 shoes. We had none, but she was so insistent, I said I would go around to all the volunteers. Debbie proceeded (without a thought) to take off her (obviously expensive) shoes and gave them to B. This is so what I love about all our volunteers .... we all have this same heart and attitude. Unknown to both of us, the shoes had made all the difference in B.'s heart about God.

I had asked if it was okay for me to at least pray away the suicide thoughts and the grief and ask Jesus to reveal His love to her directly. I said, "He promises He is close to the broken-hearted and crushed in Spirit." He was able to wrap His arms around her and make Himself known, so she would understand He did not cause this to her son, but had brought her here to His house, so He could carry her and make all things new in her life. She agreed to the process. Then came the request for shoes, and I must confess she was carrying on about the shoes like the son's death was her second concern. But the Lord in His mysterious ways was pushing the shoe issue for her so He could show up.

Next a young man came up for prayer, but B. jumped in and said, "He's my home boy. I have to be in on this prayer." So I said, "Why don't you do the prayer for us and we'll just agree with you?" She said okay and did a beautiful prayer. Both left fed (spiritually and physically) and had hope and smiles in their eyes.

To get back to our primary mission (feed their stomaches and their spirits), we had at least 50 new people. For some, we may only see them once, and for most we may be the "only Jesus" they will get to meet. One man (the usher) told us it was something he heard that first night that made him get off the streets. Over the years, some people we fed one week did not make it through the next week.

We have only ten minutes to instill hope and inspiration, and to minister His love for impact to back His message.
Kathy