We Are Still In Progress

As you know, we recently had a mission team head to St. Louis to work with Send Relief. Send Relief is a cooperation between the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board that seeks to accomplish two main things. One is to directly minister to the people in those neighborhoods and communities by meeting their emergent and necessary needs. The other is to equip churches like ours with opportunities to do and learn of those ministries so we can do similar work in our own neighborhoods.

During our time there, I met a man we will call Matt. And Matt was over in a corner of the room where all the other homeless people were gathered. In this space, some were sleeping, others were watching a movie, and others were eating. However, Matt was basically just facing the room and a wall and looking at his phone. So, I approached him.

Initially, Matt was obviously unsure about me. Just by appearance, it was clear we might be pretty different people. But I try to be warm and kind in situations like that to communicate that I’m a friend. Well, the Lord used Matt’s willingness to talk to allow us to open up some doors. Over the next few hours, he shared with me about how he ended up there, about the abuse he faced in childhood, and about the longing he had for affection that he tried to fill with relationship after rendezvous after relationship.

By the end, Matt and I were talking through how Christ alone can heal him from his trauma. I shared the Gospel with Matt, and we prayed together. I gave him some pastoral counsel on how he could draw near to Jesus, and practically what he needed to do to change his life. I left there, telling him I’d see him the next day. I prayed for him that night, and knew the Lord had done some work that day to encourage his soul, my soul, and to lead him toward true healing that only Jesus can provide.

Well, the following day, I was serving in a different area, so I didn’t get to see Matt until later that afternoon. When I saw him, I handed him a plate of food and told him I’d been praying for him. He thanked me and went back to his corner to eat. Soon after, I was turned around, and I heard a woman in the center call out to Matt with a mocking tone. Matt got up, cussing, and charged toward her. The center program director stopped him, corrected them both, and made Matt leave, because this wasn’t the first time these two had had conflict.

It suffices to say, I was disappointed. Not that I expected one conversation to change Matt’s life. But just to see sin play out is always discouraging, and yet that's not his whole story. We know God has removed our transgressions from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). So let us remember for Matt, for me, and for you – we are in progress. The momentary shortcomings of your life, Christ has forgiven. And they are not the sum of your growth, so keep going.

Going with you,

William