Exposed to the Elements

"We hear a Christian assure someone that he will 'pray over' his problem, knowing full well that he intends to use prayer as a substitute for service.  It is much easier to pray that a poor friend's needs may be supplied than to actually supply them." A. W. Tozer, Of God and Men.

Lately I have encountered more people on the street.  Out of all the years I worked in Haiti where homelessness is common, it's a situation at home that I realize I need to face.  Judgment and preconceived notions tend to creep in.

I struggle.

I am skeptical.

I have trouble looking a person in the eye who is holding a sign at a busy intersection or leaning against a building along a busy road.

I battle between the feeling that I should do something and the feeling that the person probably isn't truly in need.

I am facing this battle.

During my drive each week to south St. Louis, I pass someone standing on the corner after I exit the highway.  It's not always the same person; sometimes it is.  I catch myself taking quick glances when I don't think said person is paying attention...and my battle begins: Should I help?  Or Not?  I kept falling on the side of "not."  My gut would say, "Don't ignore it," but my head would tell me to keep going.

One day while perusing the library, I stumbled across the book Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski.

Now I can't see things the same way.

A few ways in which my eyes are opening in regards to the homeless in my community:

• It is exhausting to spend hours trying to find the basic things a person needs in any given day when he doesn't have regular access to a kitchen, a toilet, or a safe place to sleep.  (And I complain because my daughter uses all the hot water in the morning...)
• The need for people to offer friendship and encouragement is real.  In the book, the author talks about what he witnessed when a youth group came to work at a mission he was staying in.

"Over the next few days, I watched a subtle transformation happening in them, too.  The kids moved from timidity and caution to comfort and confidence.  By the end of the week, most of them were enjoying themselves, bringing a welcome gift of friendship and encouragement to the whole place.  Something critical is missing in places that care for the broken and needy if the only people there are also broken and needy.  Without the presence of people in the rescue missions whose lives are not defined by addiction, alcoholism, crime, and mental illness, there is little positive influence" (Yankosi  36).

• Whether or not I am able to help in a certain situation, eye contact, conversation, and basic human interaction show respect and allow a person to maintain their dignity.
• We are all messed up, so why do I tend to have an attitude of superiority...because my actions haven't landed me on the streets?

I started looking for ways I could begin moving out of my comfort zone and came across this blog post that addressed some of the issues I have been battling.  Should I make up bags to give to the man or woman usually on the corner I drive past every week?  Should I carry a few extra bucks?  Should I focus on donating to or serving in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter or a shower ministry?

This can become controversial when one starts looking for ideas.  What I do know is immediate needs should be met, but working towards long-term changes is critical.  

I don't have many answers yet, but my heart is changing and I'm working to do the hard things instead of avoiding the topic.

I am encouraged by stories of those who are on the front lines serving the broken, like Jake Austin with Shower to the People.  Jake's wife and mother-in-law traveled with me on my first trip to Haiti 12 years ago. Talk about people who love others where they are!

Although I don't know where I am headed with all of this, Tozer's words ring true: we too often use prayer as a "substitute for service."  May that be something we reconsider in all areas.

Exploring St. Louis

St. Louis celebrated 250 years in 2014.  As part of the celebration, 250+ cakes were painted by various artists and placed at landmarks, popular spots, and some voter-chosen places.  

How did this work?  A map and spreadsheet were posted online with each cake location as they were placed.  So it was a scavenger hunt of sorts.

Once I found out about the cakes, I was hooked.  Some of my friends may have rolled their eyes, asked me why, or wondered why I spent so much time hunting for these amazing cakes.  However, for me, the reason was simple:  I love my city!  I love art!  I love a challenge!  This was a fun way for me to explore St. Louis and the surrounding areas.  

At first, my family was game for the hunt, but that soon faded.  :)  Usually, I had at least one person with me to ensure we had someone in the pic with the cake, but eventually I realized I would only get them all if I headed off on my own from time to time.  

My hunt began on April 19, 2014, in Belleville, IL, with this cake at Eckert's Orchards:

Along the way, I found some amazing cakes and will share just a few of my favorites so I don't bore you!

Busch Stadium after a St. Louis Cardinals game:

St. Louis Public Library.  Being a book-lover, this easily became one of my favorites.  At the end of the time the cakes would be on display (end of 2014), some of the cakes were auctioned off to raise money for a project for downtown St. Louis, and this was one of them.  Don't think I didn't have discussions about bidding on this baby to add to my yard!  :)  Unfortunately, it was out of my budget... 

The Soulard area is the home of the annual Mardi Gras Parade.  I loved this cake!  Fun art and bright colors!

Shakespeare Festival:

Imo's Pizza, home of some great St. Louis style pizza!

St. Louis University, home of the Billikens!

One of several cakes in Alton, IL.  This is one of the areas I had fun exploring and learned a bit about.

One of my favorite shots.  I love old churches.

An amazing cake in Collinsville, IL, underneath the largest catsup bottle!

And we can't forget the Arch:

I "ended" my hunt on December 28.  I knew that many of the cakes would start moving as the time for the displays came to an end.  My last day of hunting involved six hours of driving to some of the far away places, and I came home with eleven cake pictures.  That definitely wasn't a large amount of cakes to find, until you realize that the travel time between many of the cakes was 30-45 minutes.  I ended my hunt here, at Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing:  

This was my #235.  I was short of my goal, but pleased with the number I found.  THEN...several of the cakes were moved to the location of a big New Year's Eve celebration, and I found four more that I hadn't already seen.  I don't include those in my "official" count, because I didn't find them on location.  However, on NYE a brand new cake was revealed!  It's gorgeous and kind of a compilation of many of the other cakes that were displayed.  I was able to go see the cake on January 2, 2015, and finish my hunt.

Officially, I found 236 on location + 4 at the NYE cake gathering.  So. Much. Fun.  

I was born and raised in the St. Louis area.  I celebrated my 40th birthday this year, as St. Louis celebrated its 250th.  I stumbled across places I had never been to before -- some because I just had never gotten around to it and others because I didn't even know about them.  There are things on our list of things-to-do now that we've discovered some new places, and we plan to continue our exploration on our own as we celebrate our city.  

It's been a rough year for St. Louis; we've had way too much heartache.  However, we're strong and resilient, and I believe we'll grow stronger together as a people as we embrace both our similarities and our differences.