Sharon, I just sent out an eprayer to our church and thought of you just now. I know you have been helping Tammy a LOT and for that, I thank you. Then I remembered how you took a lady to get on a bus in the prison ministry. Well, here is the problem. One of the homeless ladies that has been staying at the Salvation Army, her name is Ashley. She was pregnant and had her baby Sunday night. Tammy is trying desperately to get the mother, Ashley, into rehab, but there could be hrs. or even a day before Ashley gets approved and they get an open bed for her at the rehab center. She is being released tomorrow from the hospital. The state already took the baby into custody. It is the mother we need help with. She CANNOT be left alone, because if she goes back around those other crack addicts that are there, she may use. This facility has a requirement of being drug free. I am just telling it like it is to you. I did not word the eprayer request the way I am telling you. But, if you can see the problem. Tammy desperately needs someone to take Ashley from midnight tomorrow until Thur. or as soon as she can get in the facility. Ashley will have to be watched VERY closely. She could get in your medicine cabinets, ya know......it's sad, but it's the way it is. Do you work? Or do you know anyone that might be willing to take on this task? It is not going to be easy, but it should be short term. If you have any ideas, call Tammy.
My reply to her was this:
"Oh wow, Dianna, bless this girl's heart. Can you even imagine her feelings??? And bless that baby! I do work on Thursdays. And I don't know of anyone off of the top of my head. I will pray tonight though that God will make a way, and provide someone that He knows can and will help. Perhaps during the night He'll give me an idea or remind me of someone? Meanwhile, I will pray that God will work all of this out for good for both this mom and her baby in bringing them both to Him. Oh mercy!"
She wrote me back to thank me. And then, because of the continual nagging inside me, I wrote her again. This time saying:
"You can't imagine the guilt I feel. I just wrote today about Love, That Love doesn't just say it loves, but love does! I feel like I'm failing this girl. I've got lots to pray about. God will show me what to do... and if I need to. Not only that, but my big beef lately has been that we're often good about praying for the need of others, when sometimes it's US that is the answer to our own prayer that we're praying! We're often praying for God to send someone... when God's answer to us that we don't want to hear is God saying, "You're asking Me to send someone when it's you that I'm trying to send!"
Ow!
And how often is that true?
It's easier to give money to a cause, than to get our hands dirty. It's easier to go and hand out clothes, than to bring someone home with you. It's easier to wish a person well, than to nurse them through it. It's easier to tell someone you'll pray, than be the one who does it.
I don't know if I am the answer to this girl's prayer or not. Sadly, I had a bit of a bad experience recently with helping a homeless man. I don't know that it's the smartest thing ever to bring her into my home. But isn't that what Jesus would do? And didn't I begin my earlier today's blog with "Love casts out fear"? That Love thinks and is concerned for others, instead of being concerned for self?
Oh Lord Jesus, tell me and lead me to know what I should do and make a way possible for me to do it if it's me that You're wanting to "love" as You told us to! I ask for wisdom and discernment, not guilt. Give me clarity and guidance, I seriously need Your help.
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