~A Simple 'Hello' Goes A Long Way~

My time here is very shortly coming to an end. I have say it's nothing to what I had expected. It's far more and far better than I had ever expected. I feel so blessed by being able to come here. Everyone I have met has been amazing to us girls. I know leaving here is not going to be easy. The relationships I have made here are solid life lasting relationships. I have experienced people being the church to us by giving there owe daily lives to help out ours. I have learned so much as I have been here. I can't tell you how thankful I am that I had the chance to come here. I wish everyone could come here and experience for themselves the life and the community at the cafe. It's something of it's own.

Every Tuesday and Thursday there is a group of young guys from rehab center that come in to help around the café with whatever needs to be done. At the beginning of the summer I really felt like God wanted me to build relationships with these guys. Was I scared? Yes, I was very scared but I excited as well. I was afraid and nervous. I felt like I didn’t know what to do or how to do what God was asking of me. I figured out, that that was exactly why He wanted me to build relationships with them because He wanted me to get out of my comfort zone and be Jesus to them. I was strictly relying on God because over half of the guys were much, much bigger than me and well….I was intimidated by them. I waited on God and asked Him what I should do. Over time giving them the simple ‘hello’ and ‘nice to see you here’, I began to have conversations with them and build trust with them. A lot of them began really open to me and tell me what brought them to the rehab center. They also told me things like what they want to do when they get older. Their dreams and visions of life, it really amazed to listen to these guys. I found God was ministering to me as I was building relationships with these guys. These guys have dreams of getting married, having children, they have careers. Some said they want to be actors.

Every week I would look forward to the day I would get to see them again and talk with them. I would eagerly wait for Tuesday and then once Tuesday was gone I would wait for Thursday. I made sure I was at the café to talk with them or even just ‘Hi’ and show my face there. I would pray for them at night. I can’t believe what God done in my heart since I have met them. All I want is for them to experience the love of God. The words that I am writing are nothing to what my heart feels.

One of the guys there dreams of being a rap artist. Last week some time I was showing him my blog. He asked me if he could write poem for my blog. I said sure. That would be awesome. He didn’t show up today but one of his friends gave me the poem. When I read it I almost began to cry because I really saw for the first time what God was doing in this guy’s life that I had been praying for.

Here is the poem he wanted me to post for everyone to see.

As a human I struggle every day but a beautiful voice says everything will be ok. And I always try to keep my faith because there is none that can take my God’s place. There’s so much I don’t understand in this world like our obsession with money, cars and sex and that makes me feel that we are lost but out God is a forgiving one who would never abandon His daughters and sons and we should be more thankful because He gave His only begotten Son to shed His blood to show that pain is love but we don’t pay attention but none of us want to meet Satan for that would be a horrible damnation but I know we are not perfect beings and a lot try to fit his needs and ever more think that could never be but maybe what really need is the love from me and you and He gave for us the greatest gift of all. The choice to either rise or fall but we spend more time trying to please others and we often end up losing ourselves and we often forget we have a purpose and we should remember God will never desert us.

This is the poem from the young guy I met at the café. I am going miss these guys so much. God I ask that you bless this young guy and that He may continue to grow in Your love. Show more of who you are. Thank You for the relationship I build with these guys. I am so blessed.