The Gift: Being In a Mess with Others (for God's Glory)

As we were packing up last Thursday getting ready to visit Texas Tech, my phone rang. I glanced down and saw a message from one of my neighbors. 

We have lived in Englewood for almost a year and a half, and since then we have gotten to know all our immediate neighbors. Englewood is right outside of Denver, off Broadway, and Broadway runs all the way into downtown. It is a great spot for Matt and I right now, but it has had its challenges. For example, there is nothing even close to a Home Owners Association. Two blocks down, someone just decided to fence in their entire lot and use it for storage!! They store their R.V., their shed, their lawn mower, and God knows what else. Finding a beautiful manicured lawn in our neighborhood is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I think you get the picture!

Sometimes you know that you are right where God wants you, not because you are being flooded by His blessings and His peace, but because you can feel your perspective of the world, and His children being shaped for His Glory. 

Never in my life has my theology been challenged and shaped in real life practical ways than in my time in Englewood. It is not a mission trip, it is not a day trip to a homeless shelter. It is living with true humanity, broken and bruised, and waiting for redemption within feet of my front door - on all sides! It would be so easy to just scurry into my home, lock the doors, and keep to myself - and YES, I have done that several times. However, every time I get to spend ample amount of time with a neighbor I am shocked at how God decides to move. I have found that the Gospel is needed in tangible, practical ways all around me. 

Humanity is crying out for God's mercy, truth, compassion, justice, and healing.

This female neighbor that texted me is a new neighbor. Her boyfriend Joe has lived next door to us for about a year, and had been dating Jessica for 3 months before she decided to move in. She has now been living next door to us for 3 months, meaning they have been in relationship for a total of 6 months.  Before Jessica moved in, Matt and I had dinner on our front porch with Joe a few times. It was never meant to be some "strategic, evangelistic" dinner. We just had some extra food a couple nights right when Joe would pull up from a long day of work, so we'd invite him over.

It felt natural. 

When Jessica moved in, I had a huge heart for her. I knew that she was walking into an incredibly risky situation, and personally I did not see what drew her to Joe. Jessica and I exchanged phone numbers that day, and later that night Matt helped me to open my eyes to what was going on. This was not a relationship based on love, but on sex. Jessica is only 21, and she moved away from friends and family to live with Joe. For what? I just could not understand why she would choose this for her life. The second day that she was here, she totaled her car. She called me to pick her up. The next week she needed a ride to Target, and the next week I had some extra bananas so I made several neighbors banana bread.

All these things were building our relationship - more than I even knew. 

Jessica had texted me "Hey Shannon when you get any free time can we talk? I don't know who else to talk to."  She came over right away. This young girl sat across from me and said, "I'm 8 weeks pregnant, and I don't know what to do." My heart sunk. I had a feeling this was what she needed to talk about, but now there was no escaping this reality. She told me her feelings, her frustrations with Joe, and that she was not at all considering abortion. She shared some disturbing details about their relationship, and she infomed me that she had already seen a doctor and had heard the heart beat of this unborn child. I was relieved that she had health insurance and had seen the doctor. After talking for awhile, she told me that she had a still birth only a year ago, so this was a high risk pregnancy. There was an incredible amount of information to take in. Matt came in right around this time. He heard her story, and both of us offered to support them as best we could. Jessica would like to work things out with Joe, and would like to raise the child with him. Joe does not believe in marriage, but insists on being involved in the babies life. This is quite a mess, and a mess that most of the population lives in and calls normal. This is why Englewood, Colorado has blessed me. I feel like for the first time, I am not removed from these kinds of stories. 

I am not safe and secure from the reality of brokenness in our world.

SO, this week, we are getting some information from friends that are social workers, and then we meet with Jessica and Joe on Thursday evening. Please pray for Thursday evening. Pray for clear boundaries, pray that we would support them in a way that Jessica and Joe do not grow dependent on us (for their sake), and pray that GOD would move in the lives of these two young people. I know that we have to be ready for anything, but I am praying for a miracle. I am praying that Jessica and Joe will come to understand who their Father is, that they were created for far more. I pray for their salvation and for the salvation of this child.  This situation breaks my heart, and all I can think about is that precious baby that did not choose this situation for its life. I have cried several times over this situation, but I know that the Lord is calling us to be a light in this darkness. 

God, have mercy on these people. Pull them out of this life of darkness and bring them into your light. God, prepare Jessica and Joe to be the best parents possible for this baby or to consider putting it up for adoption. Guide us in this process of supporting them. I ask you to move in all 5 of us. 

Praying for a Miracle on All Fronts.

Amen