————————— MY COMMENTS ———————————————-

‘But the prophet Ezekiel tells us otherwise. Ezekiel 16:49 says, “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” Sodom was judged for pride, living a life of ease, and neglecting the poor and needy—not simply for sexual sin….’

• For the last 2 weeks, we have been walking along side a homeless family. I have learned so much about our broken government and non-profit systems. Just one quick example…. how in the world can we have open 3-4 bedroom apartments in public housing yet a 5-6 week long waiting list for shelter with Central Intake for Homeless families???? All because a budgeting class (required for residents) isn’t available until the end of the month????
• While snow falls and we sit in our warm homes with our fireplaces cracklin’, our crock pots of soup piping hot, cookies baking, hot chocolate steaming, and popcorn popping, there are families who are sleeping in their cars. In our families’ case, we (along with some loving generous friends) have paid for a hotel (for double what the government pays on their contracted rate). In addition, there’s no school today because of the ***HUGE*** snowstorm (insert sarcastic emoticon here), so no breakfast or lunch available. Oh yeah….and no kitchen in the hotel, yet there is a little fridge. So, today, the family came over for dinner and a chance to get out of the 4 walls that are closing in on a family of 5 (mom and 4 children).
• Imagine – what would it look like if every church in RVA ‘adopted’ a homeless family or individual? Walked along side them – through medical care, through tough times, through a job search, through financial skills training, through  – until they got on their feet again.
• This family has become part of ours, and for that…. I’m abundantly grateful for their friendship!
• How does someone who has no boot straps pick themselves up by them without some help? Church, we need to spend more time BEING the church. It is time, Church. The time is now.

If you would like to be a part of helping this family or another family – let us know! We can prepare you, connect you, support you while you do!

More to come…