We are Ready for Jesus to Arrive at Our Inn
I just read through the 82 names signed up to help staff the Winter Hospitality Overflow shelter next week and I am moved to tears. We have just two spots left to fill and then we will be ready for Jesus to arrive.
The simple completion of a roster we committed to is not the source of my emotion, but rather the plight of homeless. Right after the service Sunday a man and his wife introduced themselves to me who have been living in a tent through this icy weather. Just the brief walk from my car to the building makes me shiver. Imagine passing your days outside. The WHO shelter is a way we work together to welcome Jesus out of the frost and in the warm.
My heart is also stirred by our volunteers themselves and I see their faces in my mind as I read through the names. This is my family and I love seeing them join together to extend the mercy of God. Grandpas are serving with their teenage grandkids. Husbands and wives, fathers and sons and daughters, even whole families are working together. Widows, singles and others on their own become family as they team with others. Retired folks, stay-at-home moms, students and nine-to-fivers are all helping together. Evergreen lifers and newcomers alike will be serving side by side in one of the most beautiful displays of the body of Christ.
Best of all, our King loves it. “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
If you have not yet signed up but would like to help, please check here to see if any spots remain open. Right now, as of Tuesday morning, the two remaining time slots are Wednesday, December 28, 2:00am – 6:00am and 5:30am – 9:00am. You can also contact Jill Anderson to see what other needs there may be or to be available as a backup.
Pastor Toby
Categories: Evergreen Connection