Day 89 A day to give thanks...

Today I journeyed with one of the member's of our feeding team over to the Wayne County Family Center, a center for people in need of transitional housing. We have committed to serve dinner twice a month at the center, a worthwhile partnership between Wayne County and Lutheran Social Services of Michigan. Each time I am privileged to be present at the center I learn something and take away much more than I give. Today was no exception. The director of the facility is a wonderful woman clearly dedicated to the work God has empowered her to do for the kingdom. Being in her presence makes me want to help the shelter all the more. Today, as usual, I asked her if there were any additional tangible ways the our church could be a presence at the facility, and she relayed to us the need for electronic alarm clocks. She reminded us that often folks in transition needed the most basic things in life, including the reminder that when working or having responsibilities to be certain places at certain times that an alarm clock might be a great asset. She further said that one of the goals of the center was to model some realities that lay ahead when the families transition to their next home. Educating or re-educating people on the value of an alarm clock is just one of the many life lessons they attempt to instill in the residents while they are at the center.

Today, 89 days shy of my 40th birthday, I want to give thanks to God for all the people who have travelled in and through my life modeling and teaching me basic life lessons. It is not often that I have the opportunity to have such gifts in my life pointed out to me in such a profound way. So, for all those who gave of their time and wisdom helping to make me into the person that I strive to be, I thank God for your presence in my life. Today I appreciate each of you in a different way.

Thought for the day: Who are those wonderful people God placed in your life, individuals who participated in making you into the person you are today? Do they know the impact they had on your life? I wonder, could you be so bold as to let them know?