A place of peace

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” John 14:2 NIV

My wife and I watched a series a few weeks ago. It was a documentary about homelessness in America. I’ve tried, but I can’t shake it. I work in cities all over Kansas. I see differing levels of homelessness frequently. In smaller, more rural areas you do not see it too much. It doesn’t mean there is no problem, it is just less obvious.

In larger cities it is common. I carry blessing bags to give to people, and that helps a little I suppose. But I have also seen people living under bridges. I have seen people living in bushes with their stuff arranged like it was their home, because it is. Drive by The Lord’s Diner in Wichita, Kansas on a nice day. It is overwhelming. Where are they when it is cold?

We have been blessed to be able to travel to some beautiful places, but our house in Hays is the place I most consistently think of when I want to find a peace filled spot. That series reminded me that people do not always have such a place. In that series one area of a large city had approximately 20,000 people. That is the population of our entire town, living on the sidewalk.

I think sometimes we get what I call paralysis of over analysis. If you stare at a large problem long enough you get so taken by what the first move is, often you do nothing. Homelessness is such a large issue, there is no way I can solve it. There are so many other issues that impact people. I cannot possibly “solve” anything really. Maybe that is the point.

I don’t have to solve anything. I need to be obedient. I need to love people and not just be sympathetic to conditions. I knock on doors at houses filled with people. I am amazed at how many of those interactions have nothing at all to do with business or selling or buying anything. I am amazed at some of the stories I hear.

God has given me the job and it requires me to pay for names to go see. No one sells a product in every house. If I sell four out of ten, I am qualifying for trips. That means the other six out of ten are “unsuccessful” but present me with at least a chance at a conversation. Most of those occur when I keep my mouth shut and listen to the one person sitting in front of me.

It has been on our heart for a few weeks now, maybe finding a place of peace is meant for others. Maybe I should look inside that large issue of homelessness to find one set of eyes. It is there that I may catch the gaze of someone who has a need for the same issue I want to help them find, a place of peace.

Mary and I have been talking and praying about it. We think we have been tasked with helping find the thing we value in this little all brick ranch – a place where peace can breathe.

Do you have any issues your heart keeps bringing up?

Do you have an ability to help, even if it is not so much a calling as it is a willingness?

Challenge: Introduce your heart to your hands. Even if like us, you have no idea where it is leading. If you can’t peg a heart issue but you still have the hands for it, hit me up. We may need the help. Seriously, rickclaiborn@gmail.com

Mary and Rick Claiborn