Hope for the hopeless (my friend Clarence).

I had an opportunity this morning to do a Laundry Love Project in Tampa, Fl.  It has become very normal at these projects to encounter ordinary people that have lived through extraordinary circumstances. 


Ive met people that have lived in extreme cases of poverty, been in gangs, the military, people who have traveled the world, graduated from a prestigious university, single moms, single dads, people in two parent house holds with five kids, households with no kids, drug addicts, homeless, Christians, atheists, etc. The list of the different people and their circumstances could go on forever.


But one common theme has existed no matter who the person is or what they have been through: Their story is important and they are very loved by God.


I met a man at the project today named Clarence. Clarence is 44, homeless, and has traveled the world. He has been to more places than most people will ever go in their lifetime, and he is also a highly skilled worker who has had great trouble finding employment due to some poor choices in his past.


I talked with Clarence for an hour. He kept reminding me over and over how appreciative he was of the laundry love project. He said what most people don't understand is that clean clothes can cost between 50-100 a month (10 bucks for 1 load, a few times a month), and that not heaving clean clothes means no job interviews and people don't want to be around you very often. 


Clarence hadn't been able to wash his clothes for 3 weeks until today.


Clarence confided in me that faith in God is what gets him through each day. He expressed some hopelessness for the future and I encouraged him to make the most of however much time he was given by loving people as best he could. He said: "that's exactly what y'all are doing."


I share his story because it's a reminder that what's at stake is not just clean laundry, a meal, or shelter. It's all of those things, it's genuine compassion, it's showing someone that they matter. 


Because of a stinkin load of laundry, God instilled hope in Clarence, God reminded him that he cared about Clarence and his story and that Clarence has a future.


Friends, I beg of you, keep your eyes open and your heart near to the Father. I don't want you or I to miss a single opportunity to give someone hope and show them that they matter.

How?

I feel a very strong responsibility to help the poor, a very strong call to see people in the most dire situations empowered and given new life and hope.

As unique as this call may seem to me sometimes. It's not. It is the call of all followers of Christ. It is the call to be like Jesus, to care about what he cares about and to model our lives after his.

I wish this strong sense of call was enough though. I wish it was the only thing I needed to live a life that models Christ. But honestly, living like Jesus just feels flat out impossible most of the time.

I often feel the need to give myself a pep talk before entering into a situation where I know love will be required of me and I will most likely get nothing in return. I find myself needing to grasp onto every ounce of strength and spiritual knowledge I have.

But the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians speak to that feeling: "Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal with human effort?" (Galatians 3:3)


How quickly we forget about the Holy Spirit!


A continued reliance on and connection with the Holy Spirit is the only way we can take the focus off of ourselves, experience the freedom of knowing Christ, and humbly serve one another in love. It's the whole reason Jesus said to the disciples that his departure from earth would be better for them, because he was sending his spirit.


You have a purpose, you have a calling. God has gifted you in very specific ways to do very specific things for his kingdom. The life you are living, no one else will ever live. Therefore we should not be fearful of the task ahead of us. We should not fear when we feel like we have nothing to give, or when  every obstacle comes against us.


We have direct access to God the father through the Holy Spirit. We have direct access to love itself. Let's use it to serve one another and to do what seems impossible. Let's use it to love without expecting in return. Let's draw all our strength from it.


"You were called to be free, do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love." (galatians 3:13)