I've been holding back sharing a blog post with you (whoever you are)about something near and dear to my heart because I didn't think that I was in the right frame of mind lately to write it. I've been Negative Nancy, Debbie Downer, a parade rainer, balloon burster, etc...for days now. That's not the mood I wanted to be in when I shared with you the immense beauty that God has been revealing to me lately. But then today I thought about Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
So regardless of my current mindset I NEED to share this with you. God has been doing some amazing work in my life-Leading me down a path littered with trash, broken glass, and used hypodermic needles. On this path I have seen beauty like I've never experienced it before. I have seen what is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise in neighborhoods deemed by the masses to be the "bad" part of town. I have experienced it through conversations filled with laughter and the sharing of mind altering truths. I have heard it and seen it with my own two ears and eyes in Camden & Trenton. It is changing me. I can't begin to unpack for you just exactly what all of this means for my current life and future ministry trajectory but I promise...those blog posts are coming! For now I will show you just a taste of the beauty I have found.
I took the following photos on the streets of Trenton...a city I am falling in love with. To see the beautiful faces I have experienced (photos I have taken of them) go to www.facebook.com/urbanpromisetrenton
This last set of images, by far my favorite, say it all...
Mural by Will Kasso
I hope when you see the photos you don't just see boarded up buildings, or trash,
- I hope you see beauty, I hope you see God.
I know what you mean about finding beauty in the "bad" part of town. As much as I love the community at CRW, I have really missed living in the "bad" part of town. There is just something real and organic about being a part of the daily lives of folks who have been written off as marginal but who are nonetheless striving to love God and neighbor as much as those in the "center."
ReplyDeleteSo proud of you. And those are amazing photos.
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