Time with Sharon: Like Jesus

January 2010

I joined an enthusiastic bunch of folks at The Bridge this past week to help cook and serve supper to about 200 men, women, and children of our city’s sojourners. These are folks who, for a bunch of different reasons, have found themselves gathering for shelter, camaraderie, and a hot, tasty meal at this warm facility, housed at our sister church, Centenary United Methodist Church at 16th and Olive. The Bridge serves three meals a day and is open from 6am to 6pm, providing warmth from the cold and a cool reprieve from the heat. LPUMC folk gather from 4pm-6pm to help prepare and serve supper there on the first Tuesday of each month.

It was a cold evening…with record freezing temps and snow expected the rest of the week. As the dining hall emptied out, I wondered, where will they all go now? My eye caught sight of a little boy, maybe 12-15 months old, bundled up in a stroller between his parents. I wondered about this little guy, and I’ve been wondering about him since.

I began pondering: what can I do for this little boy to keep him warm and safe? In a few years, will he go to school? What if he gets sick? My imagination has been concocting all kinds of dire circumstances for his fragile future. As a follower of Jesus, the One who fought for justice for “the least of these”, I went home thinking about what I could be doing for him, and those like him, facing a deep freeze in these uncertain times.

So I made phone calls. And I learned about emergency numbers to call for housing resources and warming shelters in our city. I learned about a blessed group of volunteers, called the Winter Outreach, who go out in the night armed with blankets, sleeping bags, and coats, seeking to help people who are cold. Yes, good people are doing much. Still, the thought tugged at me, what am I doing to love this little boy like Jesus?

Then, in prayer, God’s spirit reminded me that every time we pray for the children of our city, we are loving them. Every time we help a child read a little bit better, we are helping to pry open their potential so that they can be all that God wants for them. Providing new school supplies nurtures their intelligence and creativity. The donated coats, hats, and mittens we share help make these cold days and nights warmer. The hot meals we stir up and serve help them grow stronger. The financial gifts that we make to our collaborative United Methodist ministries help to provide training, housing, medical care, and spiritual support. At LPUMC, we are already part of God’s ongoing work to bring hope and wholeness to the children of our city.

A sense of peace covered me as I thought about how the little boy visiting The Bridge has been and still is in God’s care. And God will continue to provide for him and his family through the work of the many who share and care. I want to be part of that, and I bet you do too. May 2010 be a great year for him. And may 2010 be the year we reach out a little further to help make it so…for him, and for all the children of our city.
Can I get an AMEN?

~Pastor Sharon