He Touched me...

It a rainy day here in the low country gentle reader. Pouring buckets. We are being told about 2+". Our two four legged girls are going nuts wanting to be outside to chase the little "nut-eaters" in the backyard. They are just too funny! They get so muddy in the back yard as most of it is dirt which they need to go through to get to grass.  When they come in the last thing they walk (run) through is the muddy dirt to get into the house. You have to be quick to stop them before the hit the light colored living room rug or you get foot prints all over. Pattern is nice...:)) Lucky the vacuum cleans it up when dry.

On days like this, the Lord brings me back to mission where I spent over 25 years of my working life. You know gentle reader, I still worry about the homeless and what they are going thru in this kind of weather. After years working with them in Rochester, NY. they always come to mind, in bad weather...rain or snow. In those years we could get as much as 162" of snow each year. Even now 10-12 years later I remember those days. I made some of the best friends in the world getting to know and help the homeless. Most of my 40 Staff once came from the street.

Gentle Reader, they didn't look too good or smell too good either and they didn't come throught the door in their Sunday finest. But you know what? they were some of the best people I have ever known. The mission was their home and I was humbled and honored to serve them.

I buried more that I married...Called out of a warm bed to go to an Emergency Room or the Medical Examiner's office to identify someone. But that's to be expected, gentle reader, when you work in a street mission. Had a church service every night with an alter call at the end. Then it was time for supper...then bedtime. Many lost souls met their Lord at those times. Some would come to the alter rail 3, 4 times or more weeping and asking Jesus into their life, They the lost and the least. I remember there was one who came foward 7 times. That's the number of completion in the bible. And you know what, my gentle reader? After the seventh time he was able to give up alcohol for good. Praise the Lord! He came into our rehab program for a year, got a Job at the mission and several years later he married by me and now has kids. Gentle reader, only God can do that. PTL! The best part was he wasn't the only one. God had many sucesses over the years and I can proudly say I was there to see God work their lives. Gentle reader remember this one thing: "God is good...All the time.

We all want to go to the mountain top but when we get there, there is only a good view. The real fruit is in the valley. And you know what? When we have God in our lives we have everything. He walks with us through the valleys of live and never leaves us, He got our hand...yours and mine too, for we are all sinners save by grace. but it doesn't end there gentle reader, you see we need, even in our busyness, to support our local missions as much as we can with food, clothing and service (help) then we will be doing Christ's work. For there but the grace of God goes you or I. Remember that, and remember the Old Rugged Cross Made the Diffrence.

Amen. Pastor Kaye +