Brave Enough To Be Bliss

He had been talking to me a lot in the day’s prior about some very deeply rooted fears related to his decision to move back to Kansas City to be near his sons. They handed me a bulletin when I walked in, but I didn't look at it until we sat down after several introductions. When I finally looked down at the cover, I saw this and about fell out of the pew when the title of the sermon was, “Unafraid.” The fact that this was the sermon topic seemed all too coincidental. And it got even stranger when the pastor said her sermon was based on the book with that title, written by Pastor Adam Hamilton from…yes, you guessed it…Kansas City and the Church of the Resurrection (COR), where I’ve been a member for more than 20 years. Nathan and I looked at each other in amazement as did the people we had met prior to the service who knew of our Kansas City connection. The pastor went on to share that many of his books have touched her life and how COR has been so generous to share many resources with churches around the country, including theirs. I had been to Downtown COR the prior Sunday before I left for the trip and heard about how the kids raised money as part of lessons. They were learning about helping others and giving so their reward was being able to throw a pie in a pastor's face. Well, after the service, at this church 14 hours from home, they invited us to stay for lunch as they had leftover food from a funeral the prior day. And before we left, the same activity of putting a pie in their pastor's face played out in front of us. It was quite nice to meet all of these very kind people in a place that felt so far away. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that all the work I had done in the past five years had led me to be able to enjoy so many new people and experiences. And it is just so impactful for me as a church member to see firsthand how the generosity of COR helps encourage pastors, stimulates growth, and keeps these small-town churches alive. The more we talked, it became crystal clear how difficult it would be for Nathan to get out of his situation. He had no home address in Kansas City, and h e wouldn’t lie so if he were interviewed, he would likely disclose that he was living in his vehicle, which would cause concern for an employer. H e couldn’t get a Missouri driver’s license without a home address, and he needed one for jobs that included driving. He didn ’ t have sufficient income to be able to get a lease, and beyond that, he also had a past foreclosure on his home with no rental reference since then. It was a chicken or egg situation; he needed a place to live to be a good candidate for an employer, but he needed a job to establish himself with a residence. I knew the things that had led him to this situation, and I really felt for him as a human being since he appeared to be searching for a way out only to encounter door after door labeled, Not An Exit . So, while we were in Michigan, I gave him a card with a check enclosed to provide him with some hope. It was an amount significant enough that it wouldn’t sound like a smart idea for someone who didn’t have a job herself to give away, but I truly felt a nudge within my soul that it was the right thing to do, so I didn’t question it and still don’t today. It was something I would hope someone would do for me if I were in that situation, so it felt like the appropriate thing to do. The nudges aren’t thoughts, they are feelings deep within. That’s how I “Here, you can borrow my belief in you, until you can find yours again.” Unknown

know when it’s a nudge versus a thought. I made it clear to him that it was truly a gift, and he could choose how to spend it. Of course, I had ideas of what could be most helpful, but when a gift is given, it has to be without any strings, expectations, or judgment of how it’s spent, or relationship issues are bound to develop. Sometimes people just need help and don’t know where or how to start, and there was something in me that thought if I believed in him and invested in him, perhaps he would someday find his way out and make a new life for himself. And if so, he could then help someone else as I had helped him. And I have every confidence in myself that no matter what happens in my future, I will always find a way to get a job and support myself. It may not be in a position I desire, but I will do whatever I have to do and will find a way to make ends meet. I have

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