June 20th-25th
This week in Nashville God moved in a way that is so brilliant that it can only be attributed to a God as beautiful as ours. A wonderful group from Ochechobee Florida arrived on June 20th and stayed in a Nashville suburb, Smyrna. During the week we served at various locations; Nashville Rescue Mission, Thompson Station Church, La Vergne High School, People Loving Nashville, and the Downtown War Memorial. At these locations we were faced with the decay that encroaches on God’s amazing design.
As the days went on it was wonderful to see how the homeless population was ministered to. My Ochechobee friends started opening up and relating to people that come from such a vast and different background than the ones that they are accustomed to. It seems as though from the very beginning God had ordained for the people of Nashville who are without homes to be loved on in a new and different way than ever before.
One of the things this group enjoyed most was going to the War Memorial downtown every night and feeding dinner to those who are hungry. We were very tangibly serving the homeless in a way they desperately needed. It was during these times that we used the food as an easy way to start a conversation and build a relationship. As the nights followed we began making new friends and establishing regulars. It was more than heart warming to see that God’s love transcends any class system that is pre-established in our minds.
One girl Kayla was amazed at how God spoke to her this week:
“As we getting ready to leave our base and go meet our friends in Nashville on our last night at the War Memorial we were late and were afraid that they would think we weren’t coming and then leave. When we arrived the friends who I’ve been hanging out with all week were not there and I began to get discouraged. About this time I was led into a prayer asking God to bring our friends back down the Memorial so that we could see them and talk to them one last time. As the prayer closed and we said amen, no more than a minute later here came my homeless friends. After we left and I began thinking about it, I was amazed that God actually cared enough to listen to my prayers and answer them.”
This is one story out of a group of many whose lives were changed in such a huge way. During this week my Ochechobee friends and I were both challenged to step outside of our comfort zones and talk to people who are facing many things that we may never face. It was a beautiful week that challenged us each spiritually and left us thirsting even more for the God who deeply desires us.
