He Provides.

(okay i copied and pasted my post after i wrote it on word and then just realized i forgot the 1st paragraph... so here is the whole thing.)

A couple of weeks ago, my life group from Rock Harbor decided that we were actually going to serve our community. Nicole's post made me realize how few times I think about doing this. Often I feel like I am doing my "Christian" part by going to church, reading my bible in the mornings and going to life group once a week. Yes that is great, but it is not even close to what I could be doing. There truly is a lot of opportunity to serve here in Orange County and if I didn't know where to go, Rock Harbor has so many places to offer because they are so big on serving the cities around here. Anyways, this particular experience was thought up by a few people in my Life Group and it turned out to be really neat.

As you all know, Costa Mesa has its share of diversified people. I mean, we've got the mansions overlooking Newport Harbor, the houses and apartments near Vanguard, and then there's 19th Street. Go down about two lights passed 24 Hour Fitness, and you feel like you're in a different area. Everything is in Spanish, there's a lot of rundown areas and technically you know not to go down that area by yourself if you're looking for Mexican food at 11pm. But this provides a wonderful opportunity to serve because there are a lot of people and families there that need the help.

We decided to stake out a laundromat that was willing to work with us and allow us to pay for everyone's laundry for a night. We would all chip in $20 or something, and if fifteen of us showed up, then we would have more than enough to pay for detergent, washes and drying for people. The guy in charge of putting this together held the first "Laundry Love," (which is the actual name for the project.. which other people do too, I learned) had it on the night of the last Lakers game, so needless to say, no one but him and his roommates showed up (even I didn't go). It was terrible because he was pretty disappointed with the turnout, and I think we all felt bad that we didn't go. So he planned another one, which was a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was going to be a small laundromat and just a few people were going to be there, and the rest just think we are weird and not want the help. I was wrong! This laundromat is particularly large, and there were a ton of people inside. Before the event, the guy from my life group had taken a list down of names of people that wanted to be added to the free laundry list by going around and advertising at the soup kitchen on 19th or just around the stores there. The list was PACKED. We were expected to have a full turnout. I wish I would have brought more money because we actually ended up using all of it and there were a few more loads that could have been done.

While we were waiting for the machines to wash and dry, we were supposed to walk around and talk with the people there. Not necessarily witness to them and talk about God, but just talk to them. Find out their story. See if there is anything they need or want prayer. This made me just a tad nervous because how do you go up to someone and just start carrying on a conversation passed "Hi," and "How are you today?" Well there was one woman there that a guy from my life group introduced me to and so I started talking to her. Her name was Dorothy, she was a white, overweight woman dressed in old clothes, but with a huge smile on her face. She was extremely friendly and within a few minutes I found out she was a lunch lady at an elementary school down the street, had left an abusive marriage about a year ago, had a 17 year old son she never saw and loved the Lord. I asked her where she lived, and said, "Right around here." I later found out this meant she lived in her car. It broke my heart, because this woman, who was so loving and spirited, didn't even have a bed to sleep in. She said she never begs and has yet to actually go hungry for more than a day. Because school is out for the summer, she is out of a job and said she has been looking into other jobs and desperately needs to start working in order to pay for things. She said she only made about $1,000 a month during the school year, and that was barely enough to pay for food, fixing her car, and all of the bills she racked up from going to court (her car had been in her husband's name, and she mentioned it took almost a year to fight him for it and have it legally hers). I imagined my life for a second how she lives hers. There is NO way I could do it. I thought of all the crap I own and the warm, safe house I live in. She basically has nothing, and yet, loved God and loved life. Here I am, complaining every day about the most useless things and Dorothy tells me of a story how a stranger at a gas station bought her car oil without her even asking, and proceeded to say that it was divine meeting. This is what she treasured- the moments that God had provided for her and didn't dwell on the fact that in comparison to most people, she had no material items. That sure shows me how we live with so much excess in our life. It is overflowing, and yet.. we need more, or at least we think we do!

She said she used to go to Rock Harbor and loved it, but didn't have the money to pay for gas to drive over there every week. Kimi and I right away offered to start taking her if she wanted, and she was blown away. Seriously girls, this woman was such an inspiration to me. At the end of the night, we offered to pray for her and she gladly accepted. We prayed for her to find a job, for her back to hold out for when the school year starts again, and that she would be able to save up the money to finally move out of her car and into a real apartment. She genuinely smiled after and was so thankful. Sadly, she didn't have a phone so I can't call her to pick her up for church, but she took Kimi's cell phone number and said she would call. She hasn't yet, and I'm afraid it's because she doesn't want to "put us out" by picking her up, which she stated. I really hope she doesn't truly feel like that because it would be a huge blessing to be able to do that for her.

Afterwards, she then thanked us for not judging her. At that moment, I felt convicted. It wasn't that I had judged her, but I felt like I should be the one she should be judging. I have a job, a house, a car, clothes and food, and yet am not praising God and talking of His blessings like I should be. This experience really showed me that through every step in life, no matter who or where you're at, God PROVIDES. He gives us exactly what we need. I need to stop worrying about not hearing an answer or not having something I want. He is listening and gives us everything that we really need. He is with us through it all, and even though Dorothy didn't have much, she never talked about needing anything material. She just wanted the basics to get through life. What a challenge to actually live like that. I commend Dorothy for her genuine love for the Lord and her upbeat spirit despite her tough past.

Let us think like Dorothy and be appreciative for the small but only real necessities in our life- our loving families, shelter and food. It is so often I forget that people in my own city are struggling to have these on a daily basis and continually need the help and prayer from people like me that are able to do so. Thank you God for humbling me and giving me a new, wonderful woman to be praying for.