I get to do some remarkable things.
Becky and I were able to spend the last four Tuesday evenings with some men and women currently living at the Fort Collins Rescue Mission. I shared some of our story and a bit of what I’ve learned about overcoming adversity.
As always, the teacher learns from the students. How about this comment: “We have a lot in common. You just can’t see our wheelchairs.”
We’re all in the same circle, aren’t we? We’d like to focus on the differences–he’s taller, she’s wealthier, they’re homeless, I’m disabled. We’re all about categories and dividing ourselves up into us and them, but God doesn’t see it like that.
My friend is right. We’re all broken, all disabled in one way or another.
On our final Tuesday I described a community in which everyone has your back, in which you know you’re loved unconditionally and can experience true peace. I watched their eyes–many of those folks haven’t experienced a lot of that sort of community. I assured them they could find it in family, in church, even at work.
Some even discover it on a bike tour.
It’s hard, though, especially when you’ve been kicked around by life and by people. Hard to let down the guard, hard to trust, hard to believe Jesus’ words hold real meaning in a tough, cruel world.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
As I watched the searching, wondering eyes it struck me–how to we learn to trust?
Jesus counts on you and me to demonstrate love, to show that it’s safe, to walk beside and encourage and “learn the unforced rhythms of grace” together. We must create and be the community in which we “learn to live freely and lightly.”
I ride a handcycle. Perhaps you ride a bike, or a motorcycle, or drive a car. We all ride the same road.
If we encourage each other and help when we can, we just might “recover our lives” and get where we’re trying to go.