Hannah-Penn

I am:

(at a community Christmas outreach--
at a school-Hannah Penn
in an "impoverished" neighborhood.)

I am surrounded
by great men, mighty warriors, hard workers, priests, and great leaders,
and charisma.

I am blessed
to be called a child of God, a servant, an heir to the throne, and the apple of His eye.

I am encouraged
by encouraging Bible stories.

I am exhorted
by charismatic proclamations of God's promises in His Word.

I am saddened
by hundreds of people and children who take free Bibles just because they are free and may never read them.

But,
I am praying
that they will (read them)!!

And
I am sad
because we ran out (of Bibles).

I am interested
in this: that a family who won two bikes does not trust three Christians to guard their bikes so they can go eat,
and they go home without the warm meal. Hmmm?

I'm concerned
about the child who skates around the outside for hours watching his friends enter into the school and come out with presents, and he wonders why he was not invited, and how to get invited.
So, we invited him to know Jesus-more-
He'd been in a bad car accident and gets afraid anytime he gets in the car to go anywhere--
So, we prayed with him about that,
and encouraged him to read his Bible,
and he said, "We're on chapter 3."
Yeah!
(and I'm thinking, he's much more rich out here-with that- a parent who reads and studies the Bible with him!!
...and I should have told him that!)

I am concerned
-about the sad faces, the angry yelling mothers, and the little child crying and hiding behind a pole, the pregnant unwed mothers, and the little girl wearing a princess coat who just won a free bike at the raffle and flipped the bird at me and then waved, "bye, bye."
So, I went to her car and her mother to ask a few questions.
And they're fine, and they're blessed...and they know Jesus--because they go to church...
and, I pray about whether to rebuke the child or tell on her,
and decide to be merciful,
and kind,
and speak life,
because love covers....
and kindness brings them, hopefully, to repentance-that's what the Word says--

I go home
I can't sleep
so I get up and keep praying...
and God speaks-
in Malachi-
all of it.

Now.
I have peace (and may rest)
Thank you Jesus!
Amen.