Part 16: LEARNING HOW TO GIVE...

I left you last with my stories of how we spent many nights after work messing around usually in my mothers car.  I was fired from McDonald's..  I was suppose to work on Easter Sunday and I was spending the day with my family.  I did not want to leave we were having so much fun.. so I called in sick and the manager on duty that day told me that I would be fired and I said okay. (Shaking my head) me and my stubbornness!
Well the manager there was sweet and she had me transferred to another store. 

I would get a job working with a relative at Catholic Outreach in downtown Flint.  This is where I would begin to like my faith again...
The sister in charge was strict but loving, Sister Claudia would give as much as she could to anyone who walked in that door.  We would have to work Friday nights, Saturdays, and all day Sunday doing bingo's.  That was how she kept the place running, I always thought it was funny that a nun would make her workers work on a Holy day, but she knew that the money was good on this day and she needed it for the poor.  I believe in her heart she knew it was for the greater good. 
I had many jobs, from bagging groceries to give to the needy that came in, counting bingo tickets, and then sister realized that I knew how to work the computer and took me up stairs.
I was scared at first, I did not ever see anyone go upstairs except her and her dog.  I knew she lived up there but to my surprise there were a couple offices up there.  As I think about it she must have had a small living corridors.  

We would spend much time together in the van that one of the off duty police officers would drive and then stay with us for security.  I learned that her favorite movie was the "Easter Parade" so I bought it for her.  She would come to my great-grandma's funeral years later and remind about that and the picture I gave her of the angel walking the children across the bridge.  She never forgot who helped her, it was shocking that she would remember after so many years.
You can imagine after working there for some time one could get a little tired of seeing the same people walk through the door.  So whenever a counselor would say no to someone because they had just been in they knew they could wait and ask sister and she would give them something.  
It was a job that was both eye opening and heart opening, I will always hold dear the moments we spent together and the joy that she brought so many.
They actually named the warming center downtown after her, I was able to go downtown and take my daughter to see it.  I had the privilege to be shown around,  there are over 1,000 people who are homeless and they go there to just get warm and have a bite to eat. When we first walked in there was a wall fall of toys I picked one up and said Merry Christmas to Christina is was a TY beanie baby from McDonald's could you imagine getting a used happy meal toy for Christmas? This is the reality of life and we all need to know how Blessed we are. The Warming Center opens on the 1st of December so from now till then these men, woman and children have no were to go but then they are allowed during the day to come in and get something to eat, at night to sleep in a chair. The limit is 45 could you imagine standing in a line in the dead of winter to get a chance to sleep in a chair and be told you cannot come in because the limit has been reached? I think we all need to take our children down and let them see how Blessed we are, and when you do take a warm blanket, gloves, or chair (they need more chairs for people to sleep in and they will take a chair in ANY shape). 

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father Thank you for giving more that I deserve, more than I need help me to give more than I receive,  Thank you for my time with Sister and the lessons she taught me. Thank you for the laughter we shared and thank you for the beauty she brought to so many.
I pray that this message will help get the word out about giving more and I pray that we seek you more and more every day.
In Jesus Name I Pray.
Amen!

Listened To:
Empty Me Jeremy Camp  

There Will Be a Day Jeremy Camp

Jesus Saves Jeremy Camp  

How He Loves (feat. Kim Walker) Jesus Culture 
Forgiven and Loved Jimmy Needham