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!