Starting the journey....sad at a loss...

I can't wait any longer...I have waited too long already! Today in honor of Mike Lampton I am starting this journey with Behind The Signs. I am not sure where it will take me and what the Lord has in store for it, but I know I am supposed to do it. I have been overwhelmed by the feeling that the stories of homeless people need to be shared for too long. And even though I don't feel like the most eloquent writer, or the right person for the job...I need to be obedient. I had a friend share a quote with me a few months ago that hangs in my mind and continually reminds me of the vision I had for Behind The Signs. The quote is from Andy Stanley, "I think it is safe to assume that most Christians are not attempting anything that requires God’s intervention." She then encouraged me by saying, "I believe so strongly that God is looking for more believers who will dare to dream large dreams that they are incapable of bringing about from their own resources or talents or connections ... because then when God intervenes, all will know this was His doing." That is how I feel about Behind The Signs...it is way bigger than me! Wayyyy bigger than my resources or abilities, but if anything comes from it may the Lord be glorified because it won't be because someone with all this amazing, unhidden talent put it to work....it was because someone had a vision for something bigger than them self and stepped out in faith knowing that God is just looking for a willing heart. He equips the called, and I believe and trust He will equip me to share the stories of the homeless. I pray He uses this to open people's eyes to homelessness in our society, because right now I believe our view of homelessness is way off target.

You are probably wondering what Behind The Signs even means...well let me explain. About a year ago I was talking to my mom, who at the time was very involved in volunteering at a local homeless shelter, about how I felt the stories of the homeless need to be shared. I thought it would be awesome if some talented individual would write a book. I never saw myself in the picture...just saw a need and thought that someone needed to step up. Well some time later (a couple months or so)I was reading the book "Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall & Denver Moore. It is the story of how Ron & his wife Debbie met Denver at a homeless shelter and a beautiful friendship evolved. They share the journey of their lives before, during, and after that friendship started. It is a great book and worth reading! While reading that book I just felt like the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that I needed to be the one to share the stories of the homeless. Now feeling God's presence like this isn't something I get blessed with on a regular basis, but I have been blessed to hear Him a few different times in my life so I knew He was prompting me and it wasn't coming from myself. After I felt Him put that on my heart about being the one to share the stories, all the sudden I had the title "Behind The Signs" come to mind with a vision for what that means and what I am supposed to do. I still feel humbled writing this, and feel like I could cry because I just don't feel qualified and still find myself asking the Lord why He would choose me to do this...there has to be someone better qualified to do this?! I have even talked to people in hopes that they would want to run with it, but all that happens is I get encouraged to continue on and share these stories.

As this blog evolves my desire is that you will see "Behind The Signs" of the homeless and realize that there is a person just like you and I there. Someone who is loved by someone...they may be a mother or father, a brother or sister, a husband or wife, or a friend...but they are thought of by someone out there and important. As you read I pray you can peel away the exterior of the person that you are reading about and see who they are inside. Then hopefully carry that into your every day life and allow yourself to see beyond the exterior of all those you come in contact with. I hope you can look past the sign the lady is holding on the street corner that reads "HUNGRY! WILL WORK FOR FOOD", look past the cigarette and beer bottle being consumed by the person you always see sitting in front of the grocery store who always claims to be out of money yet here he is with a cigarette and beer (this is still a hard one for me to see...but this person is still someone, just like me, who has a story of how they got where they are). That you can look past the long beard, weathered face, and torn clothes of the old man you see day in and day out in front of the local coffee shop, or look past the actions of that annoying teen who has no home to call his own or parents to tell him they love him, yet always seems to grate on everybody's nerves because of the trouble he finds so easily. I know most of us drive and walk by these people almost every day as we go about our lives. In our society we judge on the outer appearance, which has bothered me ever since my junior high and high school days...but it is the truth - we judge on the outer appearance. So we pass by these people and make our judgement on who they are and why they are where they are, and go on with our day feeling justified in our assessment of that person and the situation. Yet so often we are terribly wrong. That person is just like you and I! They are loved by someone, just like we are. For them to be where they are they have more than likely experienced some pretty tough things in their life...even if they choose to be homeless I am pretty sure there was something in their life, some event, that changed their perspective and made them think living on the streets is better than having a house and family. My hope is that as I share the stories of homeless people on this blog you will feel like you are sitting down with the person sharing their story...having a cup of coffee with them if you will...and learning about WHO they are. We have a lot to learn from these people! I know in the past couple years that I have started getting more involved in the homeless community my eyes have been opened in amazing ways.

I titled this blog "Starting the journey...sad at a loss...", the loss is that on January 17, 2010 a friend that I met at the local homeless shelter, Mike Lampton, passed away and went to be with the Lord. Today we celebrated his life, and again I felt convicted that I haven't been obedient with what the Lord has placed on my heart. I had the great privilege to sit down with Mike this summer and interview him. Talk about an amazing man and a transformation of life! Mike's story will be the first I share on Behind The Signs. Please stay tuned...you won't want to miss "coffee" with Mike. Though actually with Mike it would probably be a smoothy...he really enjoyed those during his last few days, and actually he had one the day I got to interview him! Reading his story will be worth your time! I know you won't be the same after reading it!

Thanks for sharing in this journey with me! To whoever is reading this, please keep me accountable with this! I know we can all learn so much from the stories of the homeless...the stories of each other.

Until next time...
Blessings to you!
Ranae