A moment to think...

Today has been a harder day!  Let me explain cause it's only 12pm.  Part of my job is working with benevolence or financial assistance for people in need.  There are several requirments people have to meet in order to get assistance and so it's heartbreaking when you get people in here who have nothing and yet you can't help them because they just don't meet the criteria.  I am totally for the criteria though because a lot of times I have people coming in just trying to cheat the system... but today was different.  I had so many come in that were sleeping in their cars and had not showered in 4 days or a mother with her 2 children who was about to have the power shut off.  The last one I've seen today was a woman who was homeless and in tears at our welcome desk because she's so broke down.  I don't know these people, I don't know what they've done or what has happened to them to put them in these positions but it was hard today to see that pain and yet have nothing other than love to give them.  Today I saw firsthand what despair looks like. There is so much pain in this world I feel so small when I think about it all and what can I do to help?  I always come back to I can pray and so pray I shall. 

I was cleaning out the back room of the Missions Center today and I found a Nativity set that had been wrapped up in the corner.  I decided it'd been in the corner for too long and I had no idea what it looked like so I up-wrapped it all and set it out.  I just stood there and stared at it for a few minutes thinking on what it must have been like that night.  I realized I really only think about the nativity story once a year and that's sad.  I looked at the little figurines of the shepards and was humbled and in awe of how our God used simple shepard's to spread the word that his son had come.  It's amazing that he uses us in our imperfect state to do his will!  I love that!  Then as I kept staring I looked at the baby Jesus and was once again reminded of our children out there somewhere!  Steve and I were reminded last week that Jesus was adopted.  It's not something we think about often but Joseph adopted Jesus as his son.  It has given me a new appreciation for Joseph (who I so often overlook) and helped me to look at an age old story in a much different light.  Adoption was God's plan from the beginning...not for everyone but for some and even his son was a part of that plan!  Pretty neat!