The final night of the trip, we asked the team to share some memorable stories and reflections. Amy shares how her mission trip to Nashville impacted her:
God is limitless unlike I’ve ever imagined. I came into the week wanting to serve and I knew I would have the chance but I didn’t know what chances God would give me to grow. He gave me the strength to listen, He gave me the strength to speak, He gave me the strength to pray and He gave me the strength to pull Him out of the box I’d unknowingly placed him in.
“Break my heart for what breaks yours” would be a big theme for my week. We had done Ask the Lord (ATL) activities throughout the week, and I knew I was learning and growing but one evening, an ATL scavenger hunt led me to the final piece of my heart being broken.
Our entire group started at the riverfront and broke into smaller groups to listen to where God was calling us. The color yellow. A Field. Red Cowboy Boots. A Neon Sign with bulbs on the outline and a vivid description of a man with a beard were images placed in our heads. We set out for the street of Broadway and began searching. We saw bits and pieces and finally we came to the Opry Originials store that was yellow on the outside and the sign was neon outlined in bulbs; inside, we found nothing. Outside, we found Glen.
Glen is 63 years old and a Nashville native. He was wounded in his right leg and infected with a staph infection that led to his leg being amputated. He was homeless, he was in pain, he was hungry and he was joyful; even with his circumstances, he was joyful. My heart broke like never before because I couldn’t imagine being in his place and all the people who may overlook him and place a “homeless” stigma on him and continue on their way. All we did was stop and talk to him and he taught me so much. These are people out their suffering, they aren’t just unfortunate or homeless, they are people who need love… they just need love.
