Brown Bags Of Grace ~ Part I

Classic rock was playing low through the truck speakers.  The warmth below ground hitting the freezing temperature above brought billowing steam out of the storm grates. We drove by parking lots with piles of snow that must have reached 12 feet into the sky. The north side of buildings constructed icicles that were more like long swords of ice. The days temp didn’t get out of the teens.

We wound our way through the inner city surrounded by Mercedes Benz’s and Cadillac’s; trendy eating spots and run down holes in the wall; gated high rises with banners advertising their price tags from $400,000 to upwards of $2 million and some old brick houses that had more character than $2 million could ever buy. There were those walking with their fancy scarves covering their faces, trendy knee high boots, arm in arm with their signficant other. And those in clothes that haven’t been washed in weeks, months maybe. Dirty and unshaven. Many of the men having the appearance close to what we assume Jesus looked like. 

I am reminded of the interview I had last August with the Denver Rescue Mission. In need of a job and wanting to finally make a difference with the work I do, I was excited at the prospect of being employed there. My excitement bubble was burst quite violently when a pre-requisite to employment was church membership and/or regular attendance. I would cry big, fat tears on my drive home that day. I had not been prepared to be attacked or have to defend my faith in Jesus based soley on my lack of church attendance. It also left me feeling like I’d never be able to make a difference. Every thing, every place, and every one I’d met in these recent years wanted to define, not just the difference I could make for me, but also my faith. They wanted to restrict the ways I loved Jesus or could be involved in helping others. I’ve heard lots of you-have-to’s and you-must’s, a non-comformist’s least favorite phrases, by the way!

The idea actually came to me around Christmastime 2009. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s a great idea.” Fast forward to Christmastime 2010 and here comes the same idea. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that really is a great idea.” Now, we’re at Christmastime 2011, just a couple months ago. “Hmmmm. I wonder if this is even my idea, I don’t have a very good memory. Okay. Yes. Absolutely. I’ll do it.”

The weekend of December 14th and 15th was our first trek out. I’d been having tooth pain and reactions to the pain medications. When it was all said and done I said, “I’ll be doing THAT again and I won’t wait till Christmas 2012! Maybe every other month!”

And I started thinking on all the ways I could do this.

Which brings me to this weekend, almost 2 months later.

To be continued…….