11/10/20
When we were in Washington, the weather was actually fairly nice. It was September and I had kind of expected colder weather. What surprised me, however, was learning that at the time we were in Washington with nice weather, it was snowing in Colorado. I learned a very valuable lesson from that: how far north you are doesn’t matter as much as how high up you are in elevation. Colorado is a land of mountains, and, you may know that during our time in Monument we were at approximately 8,000 feet in elevation, which is even higher than the Mile High city of Denver.
So, as we headed back into Denver, I knew it would be cold. And it was. Each day, I was bundled in multiple jackets with gloves and a hat. But, thankfully I wasn’t miserable for the most part. And most of our ministry took place in the afternoon when it was heating up into decently nice weather.
The one exception was a morning when we helped with a food drive. The kind where cars drive through and you load food into their cars.
So, we were there early in the morning in the giant stadium parking lot, helping with setting everything up. If you’ve never been part of such a big project giving food to hundreds of families, it’s a big endeavor that takes a lot of preparation and a lot of hands to run it. As we opened up and moved around pallets of boxes of food that morning, I saw a need and put myself on trash duty to gather all the plastic wrap and boxes and miscellaneous whatnot that pops up during set up. And then as we opened up I was put on the task of checking in cars, which means asking for the information of the family or families in each car, so they get enough food, there’s a record for keeping count for future food drives, and contact information is available so the Denver Dream Center can follow up with any other needs the families have.
We were finishing up the drive by mid afternoon, and, of course, clean up takes effort and time too. But, this group seems to have it down to a science and the entire day went smoothly.
And all that morning I was outside in those cold temperatures with all the rest of the volunteers. I believe it was in the 30s that day. I was a little bit miserable for sure, but being cold was a small price to pay for the beautiful work we were helping with.
Another afternoon when it was a bit warmer we went into one of the homeless areas of town to give out drinks and snacks. Rows of tents and random items and cardboard used to make something looking like “home.” It was a sight like I’ve never seen. The people were friendly and talkative. They didn’t fight for drinks or snacks. They were quick to share with others. They all seemed to have just barely enough to get by. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to live there every day. I couldn’t imagine life without the amenities I take for granted, like the simple access to power that allows me to write this blog.
That struggle became even more real for me as one of the other volunteers with us who had a history with addiction and homelessness was quick to offer a fully charged power bank to a man who complained about his phone being close to dead. She explained to me that she has a few of them because they were given to her, and she knows that she’ll be given one in the future if she needs it, but he’s the one who needs this one right now. She remembers what it’s like to need that gift of a charged power bank because you have no other power for your phone. Her only concern is that power banks have a street value because they’re needed and you can sell them for a quick twenty bucks for drugs. She hoped the man wouldn’t do that, but she was okay with it if he did. It would be his choice what to do. But if he didn’t have the choice then he would just have nothing. She really impacted me that day. Her generosity and love for people was something to marvel at. It really challenged me.
What I realized between these two days of ministry is that this is truly just the start of winter. Soon the days will be cold to the point that there is no warming up. There are no afternoons when it’s warmer and you can take some layers off.
For me, the struggle the people in that village of tents will face this winter became real to me.
I can imagine how hard it is to stay warm in the winter when you’re homeless in this community. I can imagine the difficulty, as snow piles up, to try and keep the snow from piling on top and caving in your tent. I can imagine the fear of dying from hypothermia in the night.
I’m being real with you here. I want to try and help you see just a small glimpse of what I saw.
These people matter, and so do their fears and struggles. The ministry to them that is provided by the Denver Dream Center is beautiful and needed.
I’m also going to be real with you in the fact of recognizing that, especially as a woman, I have to be careful into going into these communities of homelessness. If I’m not safe in what I’m doing to provide ministry then my body and my life could be in danger because, yes, there is desperation in the lives of some people. So, the model of the Dream Center to always have a group together is a safer model that allows for this ministry to go forward. But I’m lucky and blessed that I can take those precautions of safety, because I know the women and even the men living homeless aren’t always safe from people either. So, I want to call out my luxury of being able to come in a group and leave with somewhere else to go whenever I want. I want to call out anyone who would challenge that this ministry is dangerous because you’re right, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t find ways to do it. And that doesn’t mean that we don’t sometimes have to trust God to protect us when He calls us to do something that isn’t necessarily safe by human standards.
This was my journey of revelation in the midst of the very beginning of Denver’s winter. As time passes, I finish my Race, I go home for the holidays, and I get back into some kind of new routine; I hope I don’t forget these people and the battle they face every day. I hope I remember that there are people struggling to survive in the face of the weather and elements all around the world.
And I hope that in this blog I was able to remind you of that fact and make it just a little bit real to you too.
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As I get ready to post this blog, the timing happens to be after the incredible winter storm catastrophe and disaster that occurred a week ago. Many of my friends and family were impacted by power outages, extreme cold, lack of water, and contaminated water. And I can’t help but think back to the people I met on the streets of Denver. I can’t help but think of the homeless people I haven’t met all over the states, and especially in Texas.
People died last week.
They were killed by the cold.
I don’t and shouldn’t feel guilty for having a roof over my head and heat during this winter, but I do believe I am obligated to make a difference where I can for those who do not.
Think about those people in need today as you read this blog, and then tomorrow don’t forget them.
