FREE RESOURCE & FARMERS MARKET
FREE RESOURCE & FARMERS MARKET
Hope to see you, March 28th at the Free Resource & Farmers Market!
(see flyer down below)
A moment of personal reflection:
Last month at the Free Resource & Farmers Market, I got to talking with Brian, one of the vendors who with Delco Helping Hands. He was telling me about their Community Pantry at the Prospect United Methodist Church open on Saturday nights from 5PM to 7PM (check their Facebook page before going). They offer free clothing, toiletries, toys, household goods, etc. to anyone in need. He said they can always use volunteers and donations if anyone would like to volunteer or donate.
As Brian and I were talking, I remembered something. For many years now, I've been wanting to help people who are down and out for one reason or another. Maybe they made some poor choices in their lives, maybe times got tough or maybe, because of their childhood (maybe abuse of some kind) they just never got themselves off the ground because they believed they weren't good enough. There's a reason why we're the way we are, but one thing I learned is that we don't have to stay there. God will make a way if we turn to Him and trust Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Friends, we all need hope. I'm not a religious person but my faith in God is something I cherish. Every day I wake up and know that if my heart and mind aren't on "things above" (Colossians 3) then I'm in the negative. Living a life of faith isn't something to do on Sunday. It's a way of life. And a life with God doesn't mean that everything will be easy for us or go well. On the contrary. Jesus tells us we will have trials and tribulations in this world but that we can have peace in Him because He has overcome the world! We aren't meant to live in this world alone. God created us to be in relationship with Him and with each other.
I know that not everyone believes in God through Jesus Christ, not everyone is a Christian, and that not everyone who professes to be a Christian is one. I don't think there was a time when I didn't believe that God existed, but there was a time when I lived like He didn't. And guess what? I had no peace, little to no self-control, and I made a lot of poor decisions that affected not just myself, but those I love. If it wasn't for God, I don't know where I would be now.
Here's the message I want to share, not just with you, but with those who may have been kicked to the curb and who are sick and tired of the hopelessness they feel day in and day out: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5). Who doesn't want to be filled with that? Who would reject this? Many do.
God wants to free us from the bondage of sin that keeps us down. Sin prevents our minds from being renewed. Without Him we can be sure that we'll have unhealthy minds, bodies and souls. He wants to free us from toxic and dysfunctional ways. He wants to heal us and to guide us into all truth, to bring us back from the brink of hopelessness.
Having said all that, I want to get personal... I want to reach out to those who are lost, who are living in darkness, who wake up every morning without direction, to help them get up on their own two feet and live in a new way so they no longer feel numb, ashamed, guilty, and embarrassed. We all have a desire to know our Creator but we don't all embrace that desire. Remember, He already knows us. If you can see the evil that is in this world then you know there must be good. God is good. See, without God, we're all destined to be apart from Him forever. But, in His great love, grace and mercy, He made a way through Jesus so that we could be with Him forever. Don't let anyone tell you there are other ways to God. There is no other Savior, at least not one who was willing to die for us so that God wouldn't hold our sins against us. He paid the penalty for us. Think of it like this: If we were standing before a judge and Jesus paid our fines or our sentence, we would go free. That's exactly what He has done. But what good is it if we don't accept what He's done us? None. There is no other way to God but through Jesus (John 14).
Many people who are living on the streets, addicted to drugs and alcohol, on welfare (for too long) and who get their needs met for free on a regular basis, tend to have an attitude of either defeat or entitlement, or both. Supplying someone's immediate need is necessary, and we need to do that. But when someone's need is chronic, then we have to ask ourselves...are we really helping him or her? Isn't what they really need a dose of hope, the kind that God provides? Don't they need to know they're not alone and that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can raise them out of the pit if only they would turn and look to Him?
I have never forgotten when Rich and I saw a missionary at a church we used to attend many years ago give a presentation. This missionary was serving in another country and though he and the others he was serving with provided for the peoples' immediate needs like food, clothing, and water, they realized that the people would be better served if they learned how to provide for themselves. They needed a change of mindset first to understand the importance of providing for themselves versus having others provide for them. So, these missionaries went to work with the native people and taught them the importance of providing for themselves and how to farm and produce their own food, to "fish," so to speak, for themselves so that they were no longer dependent on others to provide for their basic needs.
I didn't get into this much detail with the man I was speaking with but I was able to share a little bit about wanting to help people get back on their feet. There are so many resources out there and it dawned on me why so many people aren't taking advantage of these resources. They need their minds renewed. It's goes beyond telling people about the many possibilities that are available to them. It's more than helping them get off the streets and become part of the working class society. It's about connecting with them, listening to them, and praying for them. First and foremost, it's about guiding them to more than what this life on this earth can offer them. - Lisa
Every 4th Thursday of each month from 11AM to 1PM the Free Resource & Farmers Market is open to everyone! Stop by for some FREE produce and all kinds of freebies from the vendors! And be sure to stop by our table to say hi to Lisa and to grab a goodie bag. She'll be there offering FREE Budgeting and Credit Coaching to anyone who would like to learn the prerequisites to purchasing a home or investment property. ALL VENDORS OFFER FREE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES
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