{"id":1345,"date":"2013-12-20T10:00:07","date_gmt":"2013-12-20T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/voh\/?p=1345"},"modified":"2014-07-22T11:29:01","modified_gmt":"2014-07-22T15:29:01","slug":"miracle-on-mercy-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/voh\/2013\/12\/20\/miracle-on-mercy-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Miracle on Mercy Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

We routinely include writings from our VOH residents as part of the VOH blog. This post was written by one of our residents about the recent service opportunity with Christmas for Everyone. If you were involved in this community outreach program, you may relate to what our resident writes. Regardless, you’re invited to sit down and enjoy what our resident is calling a miracle on Mercy Way.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Earlier today, I was privileged to serve at the annual event Christmas for Everyone, put on by The Red Cross. My job at the event\u00a0was hosting the families. This job entailed helping each family identify the bags of gifts set aside for them, getting their gifts wrapped,(the wrapping crew was phenomenal!!!) and my favorite part…..and in my opinion the MOST important part of the job…. taking time to talk and get to know the families!<\/p>\n

The two families I served this morning were very different in unique ways, but they both had one thing in common: both families were amazingly joyful and incredibly thankful for what they were receiving! It wasn’t a complicated conversation. I just talked with them about their children, plans for Christmas, and\u00a0simple things such as where\u00a0we all grew up. Seeing their bright, radiant smiles\u00a0(and even tears) about made my heart explode then and there, just knowing that on Christmas morning there\u00a0were going to be very excited children! I\u2019m super thankful that the Lord allowed the paths of those families to intersect mine!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing to me to think back to this time last year! I would\u2019ve NEVER been caught dead being around people that, who were\u00a0(in my self-absorbed eyes) \u201cbeneath\u2019\u2019 me. After all, I was a\u201cprincess,\u201d spoiled by my family all my life, and everyone lived in MY kingdom! Pretty pathetic, broken and backwards isn\u2019t it??\u00a0 Matthew 34-40 says:\u00a0<\/sup><\/p>\n

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup>And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019ve realized through these past few weeks that by\u00a0serving\u00a0others around me I\u2019m serving the amazing God who\u00a0blesses me in so many ways each and every day! Do I deserve it?? I think NOT!!\u00a0Serving\u00a0isn\u2019t about me, it\u2019s ALL for the Lord!\u00a0Serving is not something I can do\u00a0half-heartedly or with selfish motives: it just won\u2019t work that way!\u00a0For so long before coming here to VOH (and unfortunately for a good while after I got here) I continued to chase after broken cisterns that in the moment seemed\u00a0\u2019\u2019heavenly.” In reality, these broken cisterns were only\u00a0a depleting fuel source for my sinful lifestyle of living in and for\u00a0MY kingdom.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m SUPER thankful that time and time again\u00a0God allowed things to happen that caused me to literally fall on my knees until I fully surrendered and said, “okay, Lord, I WANT TO SERVE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART! PLEASE TAKE THESE MEANINGLESS WANTS AND DESIRES AWAY!!”<\/p>\n

Although some days are still hard…serving has become something I absolutely love! As the families drove away amidst the gently falling snow, as\u00a0Christmas music played for all to hear, as\u00a0people bustled all around, all I could think was….this is DEFINTLEY a MIRACLE ON MERCY WAY!<\/p>\n

-Resident, 2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We routinely include writings from our VOH residents as part of the VOH blog. This post was written by one of our residents about the recent service opportunity with Christmas for Everyone. If you were involved in this community outreach program, you may relate to what our resident writes. 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