16 Feb A Story of Generous Community

I had the most amazing conversation the other day.

When individuals at Mosaic sign up to be baptized, I call them and spend time talking about the meaning of baptism and why we love celebrating those moments as a church. With this particular phone call, I called a man named Jay.

As we talked, he shared his journey to faith with me. And as I listened, I heard the sound of both the faithfulness of God and the generosity of our church community. I was so moved, I asked him if I could share his story with you. He said yes, and here it is (be warned, there are some difficult things ahead):
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“I grew up going to church. I was very involved and kept Jesus in the center of my life for a long time.  But, as a young adult, I experienced tremendous heartbreak. First, my brother was murdered. Not long after, I lost my other two siblings and a nephew.  I also had a son born with congenital defects that required ongoing care. I lost my father a few years later, and then my son died from complications after a liver and kidney transplant at the age of five.

I had lost my will to live. I never questioned God’s existence, but in my anger and hostility towards Him, I turned away from God and lost my will to live. My marriage fell apart and I delved into drugs and alcohol to numb the pain.  Within a few years, I had lost everything and found myself homeless and on the streets, where eventually someone invited me to Mosaic.

Over the next few months, not only did I receive shoes and a meal, but I was also able to get my ID and a free phone. But the most important thing I received at Mosaic was kindness and just a little hope that maybe I did have value.

People talked to me like I was a friend, rather than some dirty homeless person who needed to be watched lest I steal something. People prayed for me, and I started talking to God again. At first, it was mostly asking Him why and a lot of arguing. Over the course of a few months, Jesus kept gently knocking on my heart.

Through the help of Mosaic and the Lord, I managed to get into a rehab center, and I’ve been clean for almost fourteen months now!  Also, I just landed a professional, career-level job. I’m highly involved with AA and get to minister to other people who are hurting almost daily. I’m about to finish the membership course at Mosaic, I recently joined the Mosaic Street Ministry team and will be getting baptized this Sunday.

My life is lived for God now. I’m so happy and grateful for every beautiful day.  And when I walk past our unhoused friends on my way to service on Sunday, I make sure to stop and talk to them, because you see, I believe what helped me more than anything was the kindness and love I was shown.  When I felt like just a dirty and unkempt beggar who meant nothing to anyone, my Mosaic family showed me the love of Christ every time I was there.  They made me realize I mattered to the One who matters most, Jesus.

I know now that I’m called to share my testimony with anyone and everyone I can; to the addict on the street, to people who feel like they have fallen from grace, to couples who have lost a child. I pray every morning for God to use me in service of Him. Today, I know now…God has been with me every step of the way. He’s my wonderful Counselor, my Holy God. Every time I walk through the lobby at Mosaic to get coffee before the service, I cry tears of joy, because I’ve never felt more at home in my life than I am at that moment–about to worship a loving and mighty God with my family.”

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Isn’t that incredible? We give thanks for Jay, for his story, and look forward to celebrating his baptism with you soon.

And if you have put your faith in Christ, but have never been water baptized, then I invite you to consider doing what Jay and many others have, which is to sign up, in faith, to be water baptized yourself.

Also, if you’re interested in being a part of the work that weekly impacts many lives through Mosaic Street Ministry, then I encourage you to sign up to make a meal; you can do that here.

And, if you’ve never loved others in the way that Jay described in his story…it’s never too late to begin.

It’s always the right time to start loving others in the same way Christ has loved you.

Amen.

Brett