Today was one of those amazing days. The kind that touches you and changes you.
We had plans to go to Tent City this afternoon with Epic. More on that in a bit...
We started our day a little slower than we had planned and ended up going to the 10:30 service. We like to go at 9:00 so we can visit with Karen and Keilee. While we were parking, K & K were leaving. We talked to them for a minute and told them we were going to Tent City and asked if they would like to go with us. Karen literally jumped up and down:)
It was a great service. I'm so thankful we've ended up there. My life is a journey and God is definitely still working on me.
After church, lunch, and a little down time at the house, we loaded back up, picked up K & K and went back to Epic where we met up with a group who was driving to Tent City.
Okay...What is Tent City?
Tent City is a community of homeless people who live under the interstate in Huntsville. Epic has been making weekly trips, visiting with the residents and bringing supplies, prayer, music, food and generally just loving on them. We really didn't know what to expect, or what to bring and we didn't have anything on the list of needed supplies, so we loaded up a small box with some items...soap, body wash, band aids, etc. to hand out.
We learned a little about some of the people who live there. A lady's husband is in the hospital. One man makes wooden crosses. And the most tragic story that was shared was that of
THIS man who died yesterday. The news only had four sentences to say about him...no name, not that he had friends and a mother who were mourning him. It's so sad how these people go unnoticed. Even by me. How many times have I driven right over them...completely oblivious to their existence?
Some of Epic's children playing on a drum set made from an old barrel.
Music was played and songs were sung...
and tears were shed. This man wrote a song about his friend who had drowned. He played his guitar and sang so beautifully...so full of emotion. It was heartbreaking.
A meal was shared.
I'm thankful Bobby and I were able to share this experience with Britney and Cody. We feel it is so very important to raise their awareness to what's really going on in the world. And to share this with Karen and Keilee is incredible too. Karen is such a vital part of my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without her.
These people are just people. They cry and bleed just like we do.
They have fears and hopes and dreams.
They have mothers and fathers and siblings and children.
IV said not to think that going to Tent City would help anyone who lives there. We shouldn't think that highly of ourselves. The only one we would help by going is ourselves.
He was right.
This changed something in me.
It was a beautiful, moving experience.
