Lessons from the Mission

So this last week at the Eugene Mission we hit our highest number of guest ever.  466 people stayed on the campus.  This was partly due to weather, the economy, and the transient population beginning to move.  I though I would share some of the lessons God is teaching me from this job.

1.  Patience is key.
One of the guys I've been working with most finds himself falling
off the wagon again.  My first inclination is to wipe the dust off
my feet and move on, but the sincere brokenness of his heart moves
me to continue serving.  This is nothing great on my part.  Jesus
did this for me.  Especially when I was broken.
2.  People are people.
One of the guys I met at the mission now has his own place.  He 
also comes over to the house and eats and plays games.  He is
part of the Beautiful Mess and is a partner in prayer.  Never 
discount someone's value.  Just because their current circumstances
are unlovely, they may end up being a great friend and partner in
the ministry.
3.  Hope still grows out of broken ground.
Had a guy who came in my office and told me that he had not
felt God in years, but the last week in the mission he had began
to feel his relationship with God.  He shared he has a terminal disease
but because of this relationship he feels like he still has life to live.
He has hope. 
4.  Don't underestimate the affect of momentum.
More and more men are beginning to really turn to God here at 
the Eugene Mission.  I've began doing a leadership study on 
Nehemiah with some of the guys here who are growing in their
walk with Christ.  Their faithfulness is becoming a light to the 
darkness that exist in many of the men's hearts.  The tide is turning.
5.  Prayer is important.
The spiritual climate here is choppy.  Great things happen at one 
moment and people fall away or do evil at the next.  Prayer is a 
tool to keep us connected and grounded.  There is a gentleman here
who everyday comes up to me and says he prayed for me either
that day or the day before.  He means it and I feel it and I love it.
As you walk the halls of the mission people are always stopping to 
have random prayer times about whatever issue is presenting itself. 
I should have done this more in the churches I served in.



Thank you Lord for the lessons.

Comments

  1. Wow. Best thing I've read in a long time. Love this format and love what you're doing. Nobody is as proud of their brother than I am of mine.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing all of these lessons. They are all so relative to my life, and things that I can work on.

    ReplyDelete

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