Yesterday we encountered a small pocket of hope.
Becky and I talked over lunch with staff members at Freedom House in Green Bay. Tucked away in an out-of-the-way corner on the edge of the community, this amazing organization is changing lives one family at a time.
We see this everywhere we go on our journey of hope—small groups of people loving sacrificially in places most of us never notice. They reach out to the marginalized, the homeless, the lost.
Most are volunteers, the rest work for minimal compensation. While so much of our culture is obsessed with accumulating stuff, these folks serve selflessly, out of sight, without fanfare.
We talked about courage and the shared experience of overcoming adversity. Homeless families come to this place facing overwhelming obstacles, and these kind, patient folks help them find their way back to self-sufficiency.
As I looked out the window at the drab, industrial neighborhood, I felt like we were sitting in a small pocket of hope.
It’s easy to become cynical and discouraged in a culture that’s divided, self-centered, and increasingly isolated. But in every community small communities of people strive to be Jesus’ hands and feet in difficult places. These pockets of hope are everywhere, often struggling to stay afloat.
I’m honored, humbled, and inspired every time we visit such a place. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute in a small way to their vital work.
I reminded them of an important principle—they can’t love too much. When they give away love, it comes back to them. When they give away hope, or courage, those come back as well.
When they help someone climb a difficult hill, they end up higher than where they began.
Good reminder for us as well.
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Great story Rich and Becky. Thanks for telling this encouraging story. Dick