The Green Room

Well it's 1:30am an I just go home a little bit ago from our outreach in the city. I of course ran straight to Gina's room (roommate) to tell her all about it and mid way through i just started to cry.

Tonight was amazing. As we packed up to leave, I was afraid and hesitant and actually almost backed out. But the Holy Spirit was very present and lead us all through till the end.

I started out just making sure i had something in either hand to hand out. And i made sure I was standing very close to another member of our group. I just observed. I felt so out of place, this lifestyle these people are living is so foreign to me. I saw drug deals made, and people using them just steps away from me. The smell of urine saturated parts of the street, everything seemed so dirty. People were setting up their temporary homes for the night in doorways and along the wall. People were selling trinkets on the sidewalk and begging for money on the corner. What was I thinking coming to this place?

Our first encounter was with a family who had been evacuated from their apartment building because the fire alarms had gone off. They had small kids and they were all very friendly. We handed out our treats and asked to pray. One of the kids prayed the sweetest prayer over us first and then we prayed for them. The mom was so full of life and was so thankful for our interaction. It was a good warm up.

I still wasn't sure what I was doing. I watched Brian Bennett do his thing and was just blown away! It is so awesome to see people in the element God created them to be in. He was so comfortable and had such a Godly confidence...He really was being Jesus' hands and feet to those people and it was a blessing to watch. I asked him for some suggestions and he said just let the Spirit lead you.

I still didn't know how to approach the situation so I just prayed in the Spirit. What a comforting tool God has given us. When you don't know what to do, in any situation, i suggest praying in the spirit because a peace will come upon you and the next right thing to do will be obvious.

And it was. Justin and I were kind of just standing and waiting for our group to start moving again, when my Holy Spirit Radar locked in on this woman about 20 yards away. "Come on Justin, let's go." We prayed for her and it was AMAZING. She received every word that was spoken to her and it truly was a divine appointment, I don't even remember what we prayed.

At this point I felt like I was walking with some confidence. God was in control. Natalie led me to our next prayer partner. His name was Raymond and he was a preacher at heart. I was blown away by this man's heart for the city and by his appreciation for us. We all prayed for each other to be more like Jesus and to have wisdom and for the city to be revived. He said "We just had church right here...that's what I'm talkin about!" It was so GREAT!

As our night came to a close Natalie and I prayed for this woman who had just had an accident in her pants and we think she may have had a false leg. She was embarrassed by her situation but was eager for prayer and a pair of socks. We prayed for her and I was ready to bolt because I knew she wanted her privacy to get cleaned up. But Natalie stayed back a second and asked if the lady needed any help and if she was going to be alright. The ladies eyes got big and she sat and thought about the question for a moment..."yeah, I'll be alright." She was fighting her tears and so was I.

At this point I went into deep thought and thankfully Teri Bennett was there to talk it through a bit with me. But it wasn't until I told my experience to Gina when all the thoughts and emotions surfaced.

Through tears I explained the anguish I felt for these people. A brokenness i had never experienced before. I know I can't save them. But it's just so hard to hand a person a pair of socks, pray for them, and leave. I get to go home and get into my warm bed and sleep without fear. I get to get up in the morning and eat breakfast. I get to get in my car and drive to the store and buy food. I get to go to church and have friends and family to support me. These people have nothing.

But having nothing doesn't make them invisible or insignificant. They are loved by God and deserve salvation and hope for their eternal lives just like we do. I am so thankful that my eyes have been opened, not just to a need, but to an extension of my spiritual family...God continue to break my heart for the lost. Continue to use ministries like Hope for the Homeless and the Green Room and anybody who feels a burden for the lost to venture out onto the streets and share God's love. Jesus haunt those people we touched tonight, multiply the food we gave them and overwhelm them with your presence. Thank you God for using people like us to do Kingdom Work. All Glory and Praise to You!