You are a God of seeing

We had our first 2009 Washington Project today. We took 40 papers and 4 carafes of coffee to two local laundry mats and gave Sunday papers and cups of coffee away for free. The group I was with went to a laundry mat in Mason on 42. There weren't that many people there, we ended up driving to a few other places to give away the Sunday paper, but there was a woman at the laundry mat that cried when we gave her a paper and some coffee. Cheryl had been having some serious family drama going on that weekend and she almost didn't come to do her laundry like usual because she just wanted to stay in bed with the covers over her head. We had the amazing opportunity to encourage this woman and tell her that for no other reason, perhaps God led us to that laundry mat so we could encourage her, pray for her and brighten her day with the message that God loves her. It was a beautiful thing and the exact reason I love serving in outreach so much. Sometimes it doesn't go according to our plan, sometimes there's an awkward moment or two (or twelve). But in the end, God seems to have everything under control. Seeing as he's like, you know, God and all.
As an aside, days like today encourage me. These are the days that carry me through the endless days of planning and searching for ways to serve, making connections and socializing on a level that I'm still so very uncomfortable with. Days like today, looking into Cheryl's eyes as she spoke with tears in her eyes about the encouragement we were blessed to bring her make everything else totally worth it.

Days like today illustrate to me that God sees us, He cares so deeply for us in every aspect and on every level. He cares for our well being and doesn't want us to be hungry or lonely, thirsty or afraid. God sees right through us and sends messages to us everyday through people that may not even know they are messengers for the most high God. I feel like the luckiest girl that I get to be even the smallest part of his redeeming plan for the people that he loves so much deeper then I can comprehend.
Don't lose faith, know that your kindness, your faithfulness and obedience opens your heart to God using you in ways you can't imagine yet. I know that he has used many of you to encourage me, to lift me up when I felt I was so far down. I'm also pretty sure that at least one of you literally drug me out of bed when all I wanted to do was stay in it with the covers over my head.

Sometimes it's just a coffee and paper. Sometimes it's just a smile that isn't returned or a door held open without a thank you. Sometimes it feels mundane, unnoticed, unrewarding to reach so much farther out to people then they seem to be reaching out to you. But sometimes it's encouragement, hope, and love. Sometimes it's the difference between life and death, joy and despair.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus

Hope, as the consequence and expression of faith, is not wishful thinking but an absolute confidence in God's promises for the future based on his faithfulness in the past.