Day 49

Last night Dash and I volunteered at a local shelter here in the city.  We took the overnight shift.  This meant that everyone was in bed when we got there, except the two late arrivals.  We stayed up all night ensuring that the women and children that were there were safe.  I did the early wake-up calls, we made their lunches and set up breakfast for them and a few other minor things.

When you volunteer to do something like this, you can't help but count your blessings.  There were women there with vehicles.  Some with kids, some without.  Some with jobs, some not.  But they all had one thing in common, something in their life brought them to the point of need for emergency shelter.

I'm so thankful that at this point in my life, I've never been in a situation where I needed this kind of help.  I know others who have and as a church secretary, I've seen people who needed this kind of help that didn't have it available to them.

Going into a room full of women sleeping on the floor to wake someone up and seeing their babies with them is both heart wrenching and heart warming.  It tears my heart apart to know that those women and babies have experienced hardship that many people will never know.  It also warmed my heart to know that for this week, because of the assistance of several churches in the area, they had shelter for this week, they didn't have to worry about if they would have food or not this week.  They were fed and had a place to clean up at too.

Today, I pray that every woman and child that was at that shelter feels God's love and presence in their life.  That they have protection and peace.  That today their life is better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today.  God bless these women, you know their circumstances.  Be with them.  Help them to be grateful and thankful for the blessings you're giving them.  Reveal yourself to them in the little things.  And God, help us all to be mindful of You and the blessings we have been given and the blessings we can be a part of giving.

amen.