John 1:29-42

Yep! Just another day at Shades. Although we close following Saturday morning service, there are still some things to do. Jimmy and I were getting some sandwiches out of the refrigerator for some people who knocked on the door. And there it was; a bag of folded socks under a stack of sliced cheese. Reminds me of the day I found underwear between cans of garbanzo beans at the entry to our food pantry. Or the wedding dress and two bikinis Steve found outside the doors of our church once. Never a dull day at Shades.

The new face of homelessness. A true anonymous account. This week a 58 year old man came to Shades seeking direction in life. He was facing the very first night of homelessness in his entire life. He has lived exclusively with parents who recently died. He did not know the father had a reverse mortgage on the house. Upon the father’s death, he. continued to stay at home. He apparently received a series of notices in mail but simply threw them away thinking it was spam. He admitted to being physically able and mentally stable.

The day he came to us the house had been locked and he forcibly evicted by the new owners. The man told Jimmy at our desk he has never worked a job in his life. His parents enabled him to do absolutely nothing to better himself. I suppose they thought this is love. Therefore he has no social security accrued, no life skills and knows absolutely nothing about how to make it in life. He said he’d like to get disability, but “I don’t think I’m disabled.” Apparently no income or even money to buy gas, or know how to get a job.

I suppose he’s sleeping tonight in his vehicle. He can get a meal at churches and shower at Shades. It’s a very sad story. I guess the moral of my story is, “Parents, don’t enable your adult children. Exercise tough love. It can save their life.”

Concerning another story of the 93 year old lady who died with no family in a recent post. We had connected the dots and discovered her son had been inurned during our most recent community burial. The same nursing home had informed us both sons were dead but had no information on the other one. After much investigation with the coroner’s office we have identified the second son’s cremains. The mom and both sons died within about 10 months. With her Alzheimer’s there was no one to make arrangements or decisions. Longer story short.. our memorial service was this past Thursday at NOON remembered and reunited all three.

There are many lonely folk who have no one to care. May the Lord bless each one! May the Christ assure us of the blessed HOPE, fill our minds with PEACE, saturate our souls with JOY, and cause us to LOVE one another as He has loved us.

Thank you faithful friends AND partners of Shades of Grace UMC for giving funds, brown bag lunches, sandwiches, snacks and accessories for these lunches given to the homeless daily. May the gift and giver be abundantly blessed.

May eternal flames of the CHRIST candle continue to light our path as we walk each other home. My prayer is that not one of God’s little ones will ever be made to stumble because of my sincere efforts to fully follow the LORD. Thy will be done, LORD!

You can now listen to Shades of Grace on the Radio – FM 92.1

Recovery at Shades: Recovery meeting for ALL began on Monday, January 9, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. at 313 E Sullivan St. Meetings will continue each Monday. Led by our Shades of Grace folk.