Too Cold for Comfort

The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" - Matthew 25:40 

My heart is just so full tonight that I have to write two posts. It's past midnight, so that makes it a new day right?

Homeless Ministries

With this winter vortex that just passed through Georgia and the rest of the nation, we faced record-breaking temperatures. And so did the homeless on our streets. A few years ago, the senior minister at my church, along with many others I am sure, recognized a need in our community of a place for all of those sleeping in Atlanta to have a warm shelter to brave the freezing temperatures. Yes, there are shelters downtown, but those cannot provide nearly all of the housing that is required for these precious people. So my church family stepped up and transformed our gym into a temporary shelter. 

The congregation came forward with clothing, bedding, and food donations so that we could properly care for everyone that came. We used our buses to go into the streets and pick up these people. Soon word got out among this community that Mt. Bethel would come to pick up those that needed a place to go and would return them back downtown in the morning. Over these past two days, other local churches even donated their own buses to help us gather as many people as we could.

But not only did the temperatures set records, but so did we. Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, 505 people were taken in!!! Praise the Lord!! Thank you, God, for allowing the people of the community to answer your call with their time, their talents, and their donations. Thank you for all of those that stepped into leadership positions to pull this together. And thank you for those that were behind the scenes, doing laundry in their homes so that clean bedding could be provided for the next night. 

These boys put chocolates on the pillows and prayed over every bed

This makes my heart so joyful because I truly truly feel that my church is answering God's call and is trying to serve the least of these. We also have a ministry called M25 that is based off of this verse as well and functions during the summer, bringing in other church groups and sometimes our own youth, to go downtown and other places to serve. It teaches them what it means to give selflessly. So over this past week, I have honestly seen God in the heart of my church community, and I am proud to be a part of it. 

If you are ever in the Atlanta area, please feel free to visit Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church. Our homeless ministry volunteer needs can be found here. This truly is a special place filled with the Holy Spirit, and we would love to have your prayers. 

A True Beauty

I haven't posted in a while, but I'm going to try to do better because God is everywhere. I want to seek him, hence the name of this blog, but I also want to share His love in my life with others. This post is about my mother. 

^"3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 

-1 Peter 3:3-4

This verse has been on my bathroom mirror for years because I used to struggle with strong self-image insecurities. Not that I have completely overcome them, I still have my bad hair days or day when I feel fat, but I have learned to love myself for who I am. However, whenever I used to read this verse, I would think of my mother. She embodies a "gentle and quiet spirit." That's how she has led me my entire life. Gently and quietly. 

If anyone has met me, they would tell you that I'm not quiet. I don't know about gentle, but I'm not usually quiet. Not that I'm the center of attention, but I'm a goofball; I like to sing and dance, especially while vacuuming- it's a talent; I like to laugh. So this verse used to cause me some concern. I didn't want to change who I was to be "quiet." But that was when I realized, I'm very much like my mother in these ways, and I consider her quiet. 

My mom. I'm not sure how to describe her. But I see God in her every day. Today, I was reminded of it (I'll tell that story later), but she is truly a woman of God. I honestly can't say that I've ever heard my mother say something bad about anyone. She always helps me when I ask. She's led me by teaching me what it means to be self-sacrificing, to help others, and to give of my time. She supports my life calling to be a doctor. She is so hospitable when my friends, or anyone, comes to visit, offering them food or a drink or a place to stay. So to me, my mother is the epitome of Godly beauty. She is beautiful, literally, from the inside out. And I can't thank God enough for her.

Today, we were sitting in the travel clinic meeting with a nurse about getting malaria pills for my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. She worked for days, calling to see if there were any openings or cancellations at this clinic so that I could get my perscription before I went back to school. My mother was trying so hard to make things easier on me. Apparently, I got my information wrong, and I don't need malaria medicine for Costa Rica, just insect precautions. I felt so bad. My mom spent her time and her energy to do all of this for me. She even went up there with me and sat in the waiting room. I was just reminded again what beauty looks like. And I am so grateful to have an example like her in my life. While I am at school, I call her nearly every day, even if it is only five minutes. I miss her, and sometimes, I just want her guidance or affirmation.

So today, I saw God in my mom. If she loves me this much, I can only imagine how much I am loved by Him.