Prayer Walk

As we crunched up the alley way, we talked about the new booze store going up on the corner of Maryland and Notre Dame.  It's been a notorious corner with a sleezy hotel and booze joint there and a problem for years for the families living nearby.  Well, they've decided to make a seperate place to use booze, VLT's and "chicken to go" to draw in business.  The few of us decided to stop and pray, to ask God to have mercy.  Mercy on those flocking to places like that, mercy for the neighbors and mercy on those pouring money into it.  It's not worth the price of addiction, broken families and violence that it nurtures (the chicken may be a good idea but still.....).   So standing there, our kids whirling around on scooters in the parking lot, some neighbors walking by stopping for a chat, and Cyclone chomping on a dirty bone she found....we prayed....to the God of the Universe who hears those standing on cracked sidewalks.

We moved on down Maryland to the 7-11, passing by two police cars stopped to arrest a thin "out of it" looking lady.  One man leaned against the tree talking to the cops, "yah, she is causing no end of problems in our house!".  One of our group greet the policewomen heartily and on we walk.  We meet a couple more people we know at the 7-11.  The kids run in to buy some candy and we stop to talk.  Our friend there held a coffee, talking about a kids club she's started at the local school. Only one child was attending, she said, somehow the principle seems to make things difficult for a Christian group to start anything there.  As we stand there chatting, my hands full with the dogs leash, a basket ball, scooters and frisbee, three police cars come roaring up the parking lot, lights blazing.  We looked on interested, wondering if we were missing something.....it seemed pretty peaceful here a minute ago!  I saw them run into the store, then I looked at all the things I was holding, if I needed to run from some crime scene, I'd be in trouble ( and what about the kids inside??)!  It was actually funny because others standing around talking didn't miss a beat as if it was no big deal, kept on talking and slowly drifting away to other concerns.  The police came out and mumbled to each other "They said the 7-11 on Ellice!".  Getting into the cars, they turned on the lights again and zoomed to the "other 7-11" on Ellice (5 blocks down).

So that concluded our prayer walk, our hearts joyfully turning God-ward in the midst of a mess-ward West End that we are growing to know and love!

Blast from the past

The phone rang as I was just getting the shake and bake chicken ready for the oven.  "Hello?" I answered, busily wondering who it could be.  "Hi" said a soft voice, "this is Carla".  I knew right away who it was, but haven't heard her voice for at least 10 years.  This girl is distinctive, she and her sister were one of the many kids enjoying a kids club we ran out of our inner-city church  all those years ago.  Carla had found refuge for a night at our house, when her grandmother had too much to drink and threatened to punch her lights out.  She was different, soft heart and perseptive, honest and helpful.  Her sister too, though more tougher exterior but bright smile and "go get it" attitude.  We stayed in contact for awhile...they left up north, back to the reservation and to potential abuse, suicide, depression, lack of schooling.  They'd pop in once in a while to say hi and play with the boys (toddlers then).  We left for Burma and that was it, out of sight, out of mind for years.  Until today.

She came over.  I watched her as she shared with me about those years inbetween.   Her smile the same, soft ways, soft voice  but 23 now and still persevering.  She finished highschool, only 7 of them out of a starting class full.  She created a kids club up north, of 96 kids and 24 staff.  She has a loving and devoted boyfriend, and has plans to get married.  She has strived to keep clear of alcohol and drugs.  Her sister is a reservation policewomen getting respect but also scorned as part of the "law" that people fear up there.  They are survivors and thrivers...I knew they were different, we connected and saw something that would set them apart from the rest.  Many of their friends died back then pre-teens snuffing out their lives without a hope.  Carla and her sister determined not to be one of those statistics, and not only to avoid that trap, but to make a difference.  Not without pain and struggle but to stand against the tide and hurdles.  I am sooooo proud of them, I told her that and I want to see them continue to press through.  Thank God, Carla called today.

Loose screws

I know, I know...those following my blog have waited almost a month for the next entry, well here it is.  I want to thank the anonymous commenter (of April 6) that made me laugh heartely!!  I need a laugh.  And I will smooch my husband's gorgeous lips and know that my pain is His Pain, and that's why He went through such crap and died and rose again on the third day to blast His Spirit power into this garbagey, crappy world (at least my back alley is garbagey...the beautiful areas of our world need to be protected so we still know how it feels and looks like!).  The bed bugs have been dealt with, the hot drier on, I had a great dream of putting pedal to the metal in a race car and making flyng leaps over huge ramps, all over the world.  From one extreme to another it seems....

I had breakfast with a dear friend this week.  She is loosing wieght (not necessarily a good thing), has stained and stinky clothes on and mostly a vacant stare.  Her hand was shaking so much that she could barely chase her food across the plate to put in her mouth.  She finally asked a question after 45 minutes of chasing the eggs, "Do you know what I hope?".  "What do you hope?" I asked.  "I hope you'll get pregnant and have a daughter", she said with a barely visible twinkle in her eye.   She knows I have all boys, I know she came from a family of 7, 3 brothers and 3 sisters and that she misses the action, noise, fighting that happened when she was small.  More kids?  Not for me!  When it was time to leave, I asked her what I could pray for her about, she said the most cryptic words..."pray that I would be a good girl".  At 60+ she still yearns to be a good girl?  What is that about?  I'm still wondering.