Stories from October 15th Laundry Love Project

As I think about the Laundry Love Project, one of the things that has become very apparent to me is how it has taken on a life of its own. It may have started out as a little seed of an idea that God placed on my heart, but it has grown into something way beyond myself and that has had way more influence and impact than I could have anticipated or brought about on my own. To me the best part of this fact is that it means that this isn't Corey's thing, no this is so much more than that. Laundry Love has become a vehicle through which God has begun to change lives and bring his kingdom to this Earth. 

For example, life has been crazy, and I slipped up and didnt get to advertise this months laundry love at all. Nada. Zip. Nothin to let our customers know we were coming to serve them today. I have to admit, I was worried. But when I arrived at the laundromat there was already 15 people there waiting to get laundry done. In total we had about 35 people today, probably more, that we were able to serve and bring clean laundry and friendship too. All from word of mouth.

People are talking all right, and their voices are echoing a love that is not of this Earth, a love that connects our finite broken lives with the infinite loving God who is faithful and mighty to save.

You wont find any glamorous stories from this month's laundry love as far as those we serve are concerned. Only people that have consistently come to our project whose lives we have been able to touch and whose stories we have gotten to know on more than just a surface level. Relationships and connection between the social and economic classes are becoming a reality, and the gospel is being lived out in community.

It's gotten to the point where there is rarely a person that comes in with laundry that at least one of our volunteers hasnt built a relationship with yet. And I'm not talking about idealistic incarnation, I'm talking real, messy, complicated human relationship that is being taken on and people that are being shown the love of God in practical ways.

Im proud of our volunteers. And it hit me today how God has always provided the right people at the right time. People who are ready and willing to break down barriers and boundaries between us and the poor. People who are willing to take up their crosses and step out of their comfort zones into the lives of those in need of love and provision. 

Praise God for the work he is doing for his kingdom and for how he is changing the lives of both us and those we serve through relationship, community, and his divine Grace. Praise God for how Laundry Love Project has become about more than just clothes.