Red Wine or White Wine
As I write this afternoon, our new total is $36,919. We are at good place and over 33% of our goal. Yes, last night the temperatures dipped down. People stopped by the fire more for atmosphere than anything else. Some wonderful visitors from the Daughtrey’s and Nathan Cox.
My night was pretty calm and anti-climactic until 4:00am and then the tide changed. First let me say that space is critical and how we use space can be an incredible and meaningful form of ministry; a way for the Spirit to be present.
Groggy and with one hour before my alarm sounded, I slipped out of the shack, carefully easing down the metal grate trying not to trip. My gaze drifted to where we had a banner strung between to concrete filled tires used as volleyball poles. The poles weigh roughly 70 lbs a piece. Each was laying on the ground with the banner twisted and one pole nearly in the road. Too tired to try and stand them back up, I rolled them away from the street noting to erect them later.
Next to the shack and attached to the Wesley Foundation is attached a stand-alone room called the chapel which has an exterior door. Students use the space for prayer, Bible study, and discipleship groups. It is filled with soft light, and the walls decorated with scriptures and prayers. Stain glass windows adorn the space. It is holy and quiet. During my stay, I store items in here. There is another door in the chapel which leads into the Campus Minister’s office and into the main offices of the Wesley Foundation. While locked most of the time, while I am in the shack, the door to the interior office remains unlocked for me to have easy entrance. I have a key as well in case I need to get to other areas or get locked out. Hopefully, that gives you the context.
After noticing the downed polls, I proceeded to go through the chapel to use the restroom. To my surprise, the door was locked. I pulled again thinking it might be stuck. The door has a deadbolt lock on the inside for safety if anyone wanted to use the space late at night. After the third try, I confirmed the door was locked and my key did not fit this door. No problem. I unlocked the doors of the main entrance. Puzzled, I wondered if there was a disconnect with the student resident manager and if he had locked the door by mistake. Again, this seemed so out of character since it was standard procedure for it to remain open and accessible.
As I began to make my way out of the building, I was navigating back through the offices, the campus minister office and the chapel as to unlock the door to the outside and head back to the shack. Again, surprise took over. The main door to the campus minister’s office was wide open, and the door from his office into the chapel was also standing open. Surely, I had not left the doors open the night before? Was I careless? But the locked chapel door was still a mystery. Did the resident manager leave these other doors open by accident? Still perplexed, I stepped into the small chapel and peered around. My “shack†items cluttered the room. Then my eyes fell on a unique and interesting site. Someone had been sitting leaning against a couch. A pair of Teva like sandals and small, lightweight cover up/sweater was on the floor. Two Oak Leaf brand bottles half filled with wine were also present, one white and the other red.
This was a new one. Now I had to consider if someone was passed out in the Wesley building. Silently and cautiously I moved methodically to each room in the building first downstairs and then upstairs. No one was present, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Making my way back down to the chapel, I locked all of the doors. Feeling I might need to sleep quickly, I downed the two bottles of wine. (That was a joke to see if you were paying attention). I poured them out like left over communion juice. Then…I tried to sleep having about 45 minutes left.
Later that morning, I considered everything I had seen. After inspecting the banner poles on the ground, it appeared these succumbed to someone’s drunken stupidity or anger. Holes had been stabbed through it, a metal grommet ripped and now it was unusable. I shifted my thoughts to the chapel, clothes left behind and two wine bottles. It seemed this person most likely left to find a bathroom and got locked out of the interior offices. The only way out of the building was a back fire- door. Did she lock the chapel door to get privacy or needed a place of safety? Maybe someone had been with her…Maybe someone was angry and knocked down the poles. Nothing was missing, and I was certainly relieved by that. I also contemplated all of the Bible verses and prayer requests around the room. Did these catch her attention? Did the Holy Spirit begin whispering to her? Who knows.
I neatly folded her cover up and placed them on top of her sandals. She might return… in fact, someone did. Later this afternoon, I walked into the chapel to find the clothing gone and replaced by a t-shirt with a statement about volleyball…interesting.
Our brain, devoid of facts, fills in the gaps. There are so many possibilities and I may never know the full story. Here is my prayer. In some way, the chapel was indeed a safe space. Students come from the downtown bar and so many are hurting and angry. She locked herself in and maybe in that time, felt the presence of God. Maybe she felt loved and cared for, protected as only a heavenly Father can.
How do I connect this in to ARM and our families? Making homes warm, safe, and dry is our goal for each home. Feeling safe and secure gives us a sense of peace. It frees us to work and serve others. When we serve families, we notice doors that do not lock, old windows are vulnerable, or a place in the floor may cave in at the slightest bit of weight. Missioners that repair these areas are restoring confidence and peace of mind. They are making the home and the person living there safe.
I apologize for the long story and hopefully you made it through. Looking forward to another great night as Auburn and Tennessee square off tomorrow. Give me a call! I would love to hear from you! 334-332-8878. Please feel free to share and tell how someone might help us with our goal!
Grace and peace,
Lisa
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