To the Least of These

This blog is the beginning of my journey in Grace and Grit. Follow me as I begin this new chapter of my life!

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters you did it to me.'
- Matthew 25:31-40

It's finally here! I am officially a shelter house manager and tomorrow begins my first day of full-time service with The Sheepfold. The keys to the house are in my pocket, the weight of love for these women and their children is in my heart, and my shoulders bear a banner proclaiming where my Love comes from. What a privilege it is to be called to this ministry!

1 in 4 women are a victim of domestic violence. ONE IN FOUR! Think about that for a moment as I have. Look around you and think of all the women you know... think of your mother, sister, daughter, best friend, co-worker. Yeah now imagine one of them, or more likely several of them, abused and crushed with the weight of their secret.

Too often we let a statistic go in one ear and out the other without taking the time to really dwell on what it might mean if that statistic is true. Don't do that this time. Domestic Violence is here in America in epidemic proportions. It's infected the homes of the destitute and affluent, black and white, religious and atheist. 

What is the best way to fight this disease?

You.

Please learn about DV. Learn what it is, what you can do to prevent it, and what resources are available to those who find themselves a victim of it.*


* I highly recommend anyone interested in learning more about DV to read 
Stop Domestic Violence by Lou Brown, Francois Dubau, and Merritt McKeon

Comments

  1. iamwindandfireNovember 1, 2011 at 12:41 PM

    So satisfying to see you in this place JJ! Looking forward to the continuation of the blog! Bless you and your work!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oysters

Image
A little while ago we had a new mom come to the shelter. She and her 5 year old son were homeless, with nothing to their names but a trash bag of clothes and an old kid's backpack. The son was happy, easy-going, and had a silver-toothed smile that lit up a room. I loved him instantly. His mom was a private person who was not accustomed to the structure and accountability The Sheepfold had. Her first night was especially difficult (which is common for most new families) and conversation around the dinner table was awkward. I tried to draw her into conversation, but didn't get anywhere. I wanted so badly to put her at ease, but nothing worked. When I'm working I try to make meal time engaging for the kids, keeping conversations light-hearted and requiring them to use their imaginations. I have so many great and hilarious memories of the crazy things that have come out of some of these kid's mouths. It's so ridiculously fun that sometimes I marvel at the fact that I ...
Read more

Ebenezer, Part 2

Image
...Many of you who know me know that for the past 15 years I've been interested in working with at-risk populations. I felt especially drawn to juvenile delinquents, foster children, and grieving children who've lost an immediate family member. I had many opportunities to volunteer within these groups; Comfort Zone Camp, AWANA, OC Youth Guidance Center, Juvenile Hall, Babysitting, Character First, Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage, YUGO Zapata, Guatemala City, Bernal, Mexico City, Singapore... to name a few of the memorable ones. :-) Yet for all the volunteer opportunities I still felt like I was missing out on something! I wanted more and I wanted it full-time. Although I had a full-time job that was challenging I looked forward to my volunteer night and weekend jobs to carry me through the everyday 9-5. I do not regret my time spent in a cubicle, especially now that it seems it's already been ages ago! But it was disappointing to search and search for a full-time job in my ...
Read more

Desecration, Power Outages, and Throat Coat

Image
So I couldn't get to sleep at a decent hour tonight. I had a persistent scratchy throat that resulted in a cough every few minutes which was just enough to keep me awake. I know, you're already asking yourself why I would bother with a post like this one. Especially considering it's still the middle of the night and I have to be up in less than 4 hours. Trust me, I have a point. Since I couldn't sleep I was keeping my mind occupied with a book (Desecration by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins). I was becoming frustrated because I was (am still) tired and I don't feel sick, just a scratchy throat. Around 1am I was still reading and coughing when the light on the bed stand went out. I tapped it and twisted it and it came back on so I finished reading my chapter, assuming there was a loose connection somewhere. Finally, I had enough and turned out the light to at least let my eyes rest. After a few minutes I remembered that there is a fantastic medicinal tea in the ...
Read more