In My Weakness

This has been a day of failures.

(Sleeping in too long, not holding my tongue when I should, handling situations wrong at work....)

Tonight we as a group of college students had the pleasure of going downtown to conduct a chapel service for the men at the homeless shelter. I am growing to absolutely love the heart of that ministry! If I were given a microphone to be able to tell the guys there one message only, I would want to shout out about the GRACE of Jesus. In sitting down to talk with the people there, an infamous, reoccurring subject is about how they have blown it, or wasted their lives, or fallen from the top, or gone down the wrong road.

But I want them to know that with Jesus Christ helping them,

changing them,

they can ALWAYS get back on the right road.

No matter how far wrong they've gone.

There is always hope.

Maybe it's true that they wasted their lives up to this point,

but as long as they are still breathing, it's never too late.

A couple of friends and I were able to talk with a certain man named Steve. It was heart-breaking to hear about the state of his family, and the trouble he has had with addictions. He is hopeful, and determined to begin choosing more wisely in life.

He kept referring to all the amends he needs to make, and the grudges he needs to drop, and the things in his life he has to get right before he can know for sure that God will accept him into heaven.

This sprang my mind to Ephesians 2:8-9

Where the Bible says it's not by works of righteousness that we have done....

On my own good deeds, I have no hope of being accepted of God.

But by GRACE, I am saved from my sin through faith in Christ!

I pray for Steve, that he will first trust Jesus for his eternal standing with God, and then rely on the ultimate Righteous One to help him with the choices in his life.

It's easy to have a head knowledge of the Bible (especially after all the studying for orals!) but this talk made it hit home in my heart how all the more thankful I am for

GRACE.

(that may have to be my theme throughout the entire Thanksgiving season :-)

But wait, there's more to the Homeless shelter story of tonight.....

After turning from our conversation with Steve, we turned around and saw Hunter talking with a man who had been in the chapel. After some time of the two of them being alone, they announced, "Guess what!? Tonight Chuck got saved!"

How awesome was that!? And even with all my weakness and failures of the day, God allowed me to behold such an awesome moment, when He brought a beloved son of His into His kingdom. Chuck was a man who outwardly looked pretty rough, and I found out later that he had been in jail for 20 years before. But the old has passed away - the New has Come!

Like I said,

Today was a day of failures.

But Today was a day that Jesus had the Victory.