Busy time at The Salvation Army! And only getting busier now until Christmas is done! Yesterday was the Toy Run. We were blessed to be able to prepare and serve chili and hotdogs. We were blessed to be able to pick up a cube van full of toys. We were blessed to say the prayer and ask the blessing before the riders rode.
Last weekend was the fall fair and the parade. Thank you to everyone who helped out. We were blessed to be able to have a booth and we were blessed to have a float and our mobile kitchen (CRU) and a number of walkers in the parade. Thank you!
The weekend before that was Salmon Fest. We were blessed to be able to run the bullhead derby and we were blessed with rods and lures to be able to hand out to kids who were fishing.
We, of course, were blessed to help our community and Parksville / Qualicum with the fire relief as well this summer.
Next up: in a couple of weeks we have Men’s Camp and the Thanksgiving food drive. We are blessed to be able to take a number of men from here (some who stay with us in our shelter and eat at the Bread of Life) to camp. They get a chance to be a part of everything as equals and as friends. And a number of them have been saving up and looking forward to it for months.
That same weekend we are blessed to raise funds and food for people in the community through the Thanksgiving Food Drive. We also just finished collecting and distributing school supplies for families in need. And of course, a Thanksgiving meal is upcoming too! – served both at the Bread of Life Soup Kitchen and off The Salvation Army food truck to the homeless and housing insecure. We are blessed to be used by God to do a lot for this community.
October 4th, we have a booth at Co-op Days. That day we are also officiating the wedding of Logan. He is a young man who works at the Bread of Life and whose family was a part of The Salvation Army for generations.
October 18th is Della’s memorial service.
There has been, is still, and will be a lot of work involved in all of these things that we are blessed to a part of: planning work, doing work, and emotional work.
All of this is added to our everyday work of church and CCM/ care homes, soup kitchen, food bank, food truck, shelter, staffing, thrift store, etc., etc., etc.…
I know many of you and others work selflessly around the clock and around the calendar. I praise God for you and all He does through You.
The scriptures we read today and the scriptures we will read and the whole canon of scripture really tells us, along with other things, that we are to continue to serve and love God by allowing Him to serve and others through us.
Sometimes that is difficult.
This week as our team was still dealing with the passing of a teammate and friend, as our team was dealing with an assault that affected many, as our team was grieving employees who may not be returning – suddenly – after years of being part of our team. This week I have spoken with a few people who are faced with their own mortality.
This week I had to speak to city council.
I was told I didn’t need to speak. I was told there wouldn’t be public input. I was told that we wouldn’t need letters. I was told I didn’t need to be there. I shouldn’t have acted as if I believed the things I was told. I was there to get a permit!
I sat and I listened for a large portion of an hour as people told me and themselves bad things that we allegedly do or contribute to in our community. (You can watch the City Council meeting on-line.) Some of what was said was lies or at least intentionally misleading, some was mistaken, conflated and confused; some was angry; and one or more councillors slapped us with a backhanded compliment, a Marc Antony type soliloquy, or even put Brutus’ dagger in our back (Thanks Dustin!). I had to listen to this.
I had to answer to this. I had no notes. The public wasn’t supposed to be able to speak. I was told that I didn’t need to speak. I was told I didn’t need to be there. And then… I was asked why there was homelessness in our community, why it is getting worse, and what AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT IT!?!
I was only there to renew a permit to continue feeding and sheltering people in our community and now I was being asked to solve homelessness before they would consider renewing our permit to serve the homeless.
I wanted to say a bunch of things. I was tempted to tell them that was their job to solve homelessness! My job is to protect and provide for the people you forsake! I was tempted to tell them that if they didn’t close down the Port Pub, the trailers, and RB’s playground throwing all those people out on the street, then all those people would not be out on the street! I was tempted to tell them that if they provided supportive housing and involuntary treatment then there wouldn’t be homelessness! I was tempted to tell them that if they built homes and let people stay in them then there wouldn’t be homelessness!
I was tempted to say. “You are blaming us because people are sleeping in doorways, defecating and urinating in planters, and leaving drug paraphernalia on the streets; and your solution is for us to close our shelter tossing 25 to 45 more people onto the streets with no place to sleep or defecate!”
We have bathrooms, beds, and no in-and-out privileges at night. We keep our people safe. We are the only dry shelter in our whole community. We are the only safe place for sober addicts. We offer jobs, volunteer work, meaning, purpose and family for people. We feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and befriend those with no friends. I was tempted to close it all down! And tell City Council to see how they like it now that there are 25 to 45 more people on the streets with no safe place to go! I was tempted… but I didn’t.
Instead I spoke of the great work that the LORD is doing through all of you. I was and am very thankful for the support of our mayor, Sharie Minions; Councillors Deb Haggard and Charlse Mealy. I know that another councillor who shall remain nameless is our enemy (as he always speaks and votes against us) and I am still smarting from Dustin’s knife in our backs. I left the City Council meeting upset. I did not sleep that night.
Do you ever get to the point where you just want to quit? Do you ever get to the point where you ask “what is the point? Why am I doing this?” I was getting to that point.
Susan pointed to our prayer meetings, our check-ins, our prayer / grace before meals as a part of how we are serving our Lord and our neighbourhood and pointed out that the Enemy will fight against those willing to be a part of the Lord’s kingdom and His transformative power in this age and in the age to come. Last week Tim read from Isaiha 61. We have been a part of two separate TSA Corps based on that chapter of the Bible – especially Verse 4.
I know that the LORD’s will will be done.
Sage Haven, Island Health, Agro Hope, CAT, Ineo, and others have already written or offered to write letters. I imagine another councillor or two will vote along with Sharie, Deb, and Charlse to support the vulnerable in our community. I have had many people reach out to me this past week, thank you: the Lord used and is using you to sustain me on top of all the other things He is using you to do.
Today I want to encourage you. We are all working so diligently for the LORD and the most vulnerable in our community. Please keep it up and please don’t give up!
I think of the story of the Hebrews in a battle during Moses’ time. The people were fighting hard. God used Moses to encourage His people. As Moses held his staff above his head, the Hebrews would prevail, when this burden became too heavy and his arms, his staff and his encouragement waned; the Hebrews started to falter and fall. God then provided people to uphold Moses’ arms so that God would still use Moses to encourage God’s people to win the battle.
Friends, many of you are fighting in life’s battle on behalf of Jesus and the Kingdom of God everyday – by serving at the soup kitchen, shelter, seniors homes, church, store, food bank, prayer and Bible studies, and even more.
I do see a big part of the blessing of my job to stand up here and elsewhere to hold up the staff of the LORD’s encouragement in the face of adversity. Please hear me now:
Hebrews 10:36-37: You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For,
“In just a little while,
He who is coming will come
and will not delay.”
1 Peter 3:8: ...all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
2 Corinthians 12:9: The Lord says, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
And Psalm 55:22: Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
I thank the Lord for all of you that come alongside me and hold my arms each and everyday through prayer and conversation and listening on top of everything else you do; you are a vital part of this battle that is our life’: the battle to live in, to live for, and to grow the Kingdom of God for now and forever.
Amen.
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