Last night when I got home from the Love in Action feeding, I peeked into my 4-year-old's room to say goodnight and found him already asleep in bed. His hair was still wet from a bath, he was in warm pajamas wrapped in a blanket, and had his arms around his favorite stuffed animal. And all I could think about as I kissed him goodnight were the four kids I had just said goodbye to at the LIA feeding. The four children who were, at that same moment, trying to fall asleep in the back seats of the cars they call home.
Two separate fathers, each raising two kids on their own, described to us their struggle to find permanent housing for their families. In light of their pressing need for shelter, we did everything we could think of, called everybody we knew who might help, and were able to put plans in motion to connect them with the right people this morning. But ultimately, they spent last night with their daddies in cars.
One girl, the 4-year-old, told me, "Some day, my mommy will come back and take me to Disney World." She blew bubbles and chased her brother like any other preschooler—like my own son—but she has no bed to get tucked into at night.
The bad news is, even if we can help these two families, there are hundreds more like them in our own community. And over the course of a single year, more than a million American children experience homelessness. It's truly overwhelming.
Yet in the midst of all this discouraging news is the Good News. As Kathy said last night, the "good news" is we don't need to figure it all out ourselves. In fact, relying on our own wisdom is counterproductive. He asks us to rely upon Him and listen for His call. And in hearing that call, to allow ourselves to be moved into action and service. Truly, to put love into action.
Please continue to pray with us for solutions to these seemingly insurmountable challenges. Pray for an end to homelessness, an end to poverty and starvation, an end to suffering, abuse and neglect of all kinds. And please ask anyone you think might be moved into prayer and action to do the same. Pass along these prayer requests wherever you can. You are his hands, his feet, his warm embrace, his encouraging words, his smile, and the channel through which his resources flow.
Thanks be to God, whose love for us is so great that even death is no obstacle ....
Erika
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." Matthew 17:20
-- For Roger and his two kids, who are 4 and 6.
-- For the other families who were at this week's feeding, including Jessica.
-- For Tino, who is completely lost and has not yet hit bottom. Losing everything has not been enough to change his heart. He needs to be humbled before God and seek His wisdom.
-- For Nina, who asks us to pray for the neglected and abused animals and their caregivers. She also needs prayers for her own physical and emotional/mental healing.
-- For Errol A.W.
-- For Scott, who had surgery this week. We ask for complete healing and a meaningful change in his life.
-- For Robert, who talks the talk but has trouble walking the walk.
-- For Jon, a praise report .... We thank God for continued blessings as Jon gets his business off the ground.
-- Better daily relationship with wife.
-- My name is Atiba. I'm a student at Everest and I'm in a bad living situation, and so many problems keep arising. I'm trying so hard not to give up, I really am. I ask you to please keep me in your prayers. May you have a blessed night and God bless you all. Thank you.
-- Family, wife, brother, sister, mother, a job, and a place to stay.
-- So many times this church has blessed me with a meal. I'm just so thankful for it and may God keep blessing this place. And that God give increase and lack no good thing. Watch over Quonisha my wife-to-be and pray for all those who don't have this blessing in their life.
-- Carl and Richard: A job and a home.
-- Clay M.: Please keep me strong.
-- Kevin L.: Get closer to God and health, insomnia, not sleeping.
-- Powell: Keep me strong.
-- For all those who give time and food to the homeless. We appreciate you. For our country.
-- H.D.: Pray for me to find a job and a place to live.
-- For my family, my husband's health, and for a family.
-- For money for laundry and ticket to AZ.
-- Please pray that I am blessed with other child and please pray to bless Barthomew to be able to be blessed to have a family of his own.
-- Please pray for my niece, she needs to have surgery.
-- Cori D.: Work.
-- I ask for prayers for my nephew Mattew.
-- To please keep Altagracia strong and healthy.
-- I'm just thankful for everything that I've got. And pray for my father who is very sick and in TN. My mother died three months ago and he took it very bad. God bless.
-- Derwin: Deliverance from my addiction.
-- Charlie M. and family.
-- I pray I have a job and a better future. I pray I could be able to get my GED and go to college.
-- Please, pray for me and Judy.
-- Cowboy: I pray that the Lord will keep my daughter and stepson in the truth and knowledge of the Lord. Thanks.
-- Alexis and Cynthia: To keep our love strong and our bodies healthy. Let our love last forever.
-- Housing and financial blessings for Bilal/Anna. Good health, prosperous marriage, long life together, child.
-- Hammerfall, Kings, Queens, New.
-- Much needed immediate rent money.
-- My name is Savannah G. I wanted to know if y'all can pray for me and my family and for me to find a job.
-- Jaret: My prayer for all those here who care for us: I pray to you, Hashem, to bless those who work for your glory with health. To long life. Amen
-- Anna: Stay clean from drugs.
-- Abe: I request a prayer for my niece who needs to have surgery done soon. Also my friends and family. God bless you.
-- I would like you to pray for me and my family and that my other half and myself will get through this obstacle that has been put in front of us.
-- Pray for people to stop lying to get ahead of everyone else.
-- Ray: Help in getting $450 to register my van, that includes plates and tag.
-- Kevin T.: Help for perseverance and continued faithfulness every day.
-- Please ask our Father above to guide me and my family. Fred (brother), James (Dad), Vicki (sister).
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