Find Your Way Home - week 2

Grand Rapids, MI:  Because of a long travel day on Sunday, I missed this week's Fall Adult Series at St. Augustine's.  Luckily, with the click of a mouse, I can sit in a hotel room on a rainy Saturday morning and listen to the podcast of “Find Your Way Home.”


Week 2:  Bev and Katrina
I've been volunteering at -- or more realistically, simply being present with -- the Magdalene / Thistle Farms ladies off & on for about 4 months.   In that time, I've gotten to know some of them a little better; at least being able to put together a face with a name or discovering a small piece about their story during the "check in" Wednesday morning circle.  So, it warmed my heart when I heard the sweet voices of guest speakers, Beverly and Katrina, over my Powerbook speakers.

I don't know Beverly too well, though I remember thinking she must be a volunteer when I first met her because she looked so "normal." I soon discovered she had been a functioning addict for 39 years. She said that though she was technically never homeless, she only had a house, never a home, and Magdalene helped provide her with a real home... and a chance to get her life back together.

Katrina holds a special place in my heart. On one particular Wednesday morning, I was feeling low. REALLY low. Tuesday night had been one of those incredibly lonely nights, the ones where you feel like you are suffocating from the emptiness surrounding you and not only is there no way you can pull yourself out… you simply can’t find the desire to even WANT to get out of it.   I tried to share some of these emotions in the circle, but felt almost guilty for bringing up such a silly little complaint when these women had REAL problems. When I was done talking, Katrina put her arm around my shoulder, gave it a little squeeze and said "I'm so glad you're here." She made me feel known, which is what I think we are all striving for.


When the women were done sharing, Becca discussed Chapter 5 of the book, “Think of the Stranger As God.” There is a saying that goes “There But For The Grace of God Go I.” In essence, it’s something that you say which means something bad that has happened to someone else could have happened to you... but luckily, you had God's grace.


But Becca pointed out the danger of using the language of “we” and “they.” People are really more alike than different and, personally, I believe “we” are all just one bad choice, one time getting caught, one spell of bad luck away from being "them.”

Becca reminds us:
We are the ‘they’
We are the ‘we’
We are the ‘them’
We are the ‘her’
With keeping this in mind, the saying can then be changed to – simply – “There Goes God.”  We must fervently be aware of the God that is present inside every person we meet, regardless if “they” seem so different than “us.”