You had to feel it....if you went. If you were not able to go...Let me sum it up for you: Nancy Alcorn founder of Mercy Ministries spoke at our church's chick night. She talked about her program, her background and what going on in the lives of the women she has helped. Women who have battled more then any of us will ever know, but take on abuse sexual and physical, drug addiction, unplanned pregnancy, sex trafficing, sexual identity issues... If you want to get into the bones of her program then check out their website, read her books, download in your iTunes her CDs. I don't want to bore you with the 'fine edging' to her voice. What her final message, I personally felt, was to RVC was about a young girl (before Mercy, Nancy worked in Tennessee at a correctional facility for juvenile delinquent girls and investigating child abuse cases.) whom was in the correctional facility. Nancy was the athletic coach for the girls there. This girl was having an identity crisis. She had been sexually abused by many male family members and I am sure it goes beyond what we can even comprehend. Nancy shared Jesus with the girl. The girl dressed like a boy. Maybe she was gay, we weren't told about that. Nancy encouraged this girl after she was released to join a church, a youth group, to help her get closer to God. A few months after this girl was released, Nancy got a call from the girls mother. The girl had committed suicide after she was teased and tormented and cast out from the church she was seeking help from. At this point during her telling us this, I had to cover my mouth because I was going to let out a gut wrenching cry. I was so angry....
Its not right. Its not fair. But is it us? Is it our community here in the subs of St Paul. We play it safe, don't we? Message after message of accepting people....supporting them....showing them the true Love of Jesus Christ.....but do you? Really? You nod your head with the speakers and Demand Change! Would you be one the people in our church who would sit right next to a homeless person who hasn't had a bath in weeks? Would you give your cute little Express lightweight sweater to a women who looked like she had been to the bars all night, possibly involved in sex trafficking? Would you put your arms around them? Would you pray for them? More like...would you pray with them? Would it disrupt your worship time? Would they distract you too much? Would you ask them to come to breakfast or dinner with you? Hmmmm....okay how about not so extreme.....What if a young lady came to our church....she wears her hair shorter....she has piercings,...she dresses more tomboyish than girlish....she wears guys shoes...heck...maybe she is gay! WOW!!! What does your heart say? Do you try to know her? Or do you try to avoid her? You don't have to agree with any of it....you just need to show love....do you? Do you guess about her? Her file, after all isn't public knowledge.....Like Nancy Alcorn was saying...she could read the files the background on the girls she knows what they experienced the sexual abuse, the rape, the drugs, the unthinkable......then the what...became the why....to Nancy. We don't have files to showcase to the viewing public. No one wears the hurt on a tshirt labeling all that has been done to them. We'd be okay with that..."Oh...thats why.."...
Did you know, if you have read the bible...who Jesus hung out with? Think about that...our Savior...our rescuer, our redeemer...the HOLY SON OF GOD.....he hung out with the unlovable...the ones cast out...set aside...ignored...picked on...stoned.....humiliated....He loved them. Why is it so hard for us to do the same? Why would you leave 3 seats open in between you and the unlovable one at church?
The picture may be a bit wordy vulgarity...but its my point....
I love you...I love my famiy...I even love the ones who have issues with me and my family. I can take care of my dread locked self...its when you hurt my family....You have no idea whats in their 'files'....and there are files....Remember that...when you see me and my family....we all have files! I hold my head up and praise my Lord and my Savior...you may not like me..But I have all I need...Hebrews 13:5.......God Has Said...Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake You.
Pa-REACH it my sista! I am so glad we were affected in such similar ways and are both ready to DO something about it. Your words were powerful and perfect.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to get together and see what comes of this new gathering of Mercy.
Love you so very much!
Kammi
Excellent .... so the question I'm pondering is will I give up all my little comforts that might make the difference between "me" and "them" less obvious. Am I willing to stop buying the trendy clothes, the purses, having the stuff that makes the differences scream volumes.....in Africa, sometimes the older kids at the church would share that Americans are "cursed" cause they love all their stuff....it's true - I do, we do....and do we really need God to say - STOP CONSUMING, I mean He said it over and over again in his word, and we consume away - we're guilty, so guilty.... the $$ pour into our own lives even when we're generous with Kingdom things. Someone objective could come in and say, "how about this, did you need that?" Couldn't you have used that money for someone else?
ReplyDeleteI feel like I don't always fit in the suburbs very well because we don't have the resources to buy the stuff that makes me feel a part of the right crowd, so how does someone who has hit rock bottom in their life feel when our mouths say we care - don't they feel like we're across the grand canyon from them...don't they look at us and think - "they have no idea...."
How do we close that gap? How do we make our whole life line up with what we're thinking and feeling after last night......
Leslie I totally agree....about the comforts and of the suburbs....Our hearts are still pulling us to St Paul...I wish I had the heart to step completely out on Faith. We are doing tiny steps! But we can start changing things here at our little Nook in RVC..this was just a start. We have to do something now while its still stirring the hearts of the women, our friends in our church. But what. Been praying for guidance. ..xoxo
ReplyDeleteI know...I feel like I am really going to answer to God on this, not everyone will, but He's called me out on it, and I'm going to give an account for all my "stuff" and yet I basically plug my ears....I enjoy all the stuff when i know what those $$ would translate to. There is excess in almost every purchase I make.....listened to a good message on fearing God today (not in a scary way) in an obedience way....perhaps I will have to brainwash myself into change.....
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