The Ugly Side of Ministry

Ministry is hard work. When the decision is made to work in the ministry full-time, one realizes that ministry is really dirty work. Emotions get involved. One’s compassion is pushed to its limits. One’s heart is broken on a regular basis, by negative actions and by situations that are beyond one’s control.
It is now 10:55 pm. I just left the house of one of my clients. He is a single father of 3 and he has custody of his children. He called me because he was home alone, in the dark, because his electricity has been turned off for non-payment. And that broke my heart.
He is a former big-time drug dealer that has chosen to leave the street life, and he has begun to live the life of a normal citizen. He has decided to put the well being of his family before his own selfish motives. But that good decision has left him in the dark, with his children living down the street with a relative.
I pulled up to the house and it was completely dark. The lights in the house are off, but the street lights near his house have been knocked out as well. He came to the door with his head down in shame. He began to explain to me how the relative that was helping him to pay the bills because he has chosen to leave the drugs alone has asked that he pay half of the bill. He worked for a few days and she knew he was getting a paycheck. The problem is the pay check was not large enough to pay his half of the light bill.
We sat and talked and he shared more with me tonight than he ever has. He really opened up. I tried my best to encourage him, but I knew that after I left, his lights would still be out. He asked me if I could assist him with the bill. I gave him what I could, but it was not enough. The gesture proved to him that LifeLine is really a ministry that attempts to address every aspect of its client’s lives.
While my heart was breaking because he was in the dark, I was encouraged because he decided it would be better to be in the dark than to get a sack of drugs and sell them to pay the electric bill. He has chosen to sit in the dark. He has decided that living as a law abiding citizen is more important than breaking the law to meet his needs. I was so proud of him!
Reentry training works. It is possible to teach a person that is living a life of crime how to change their way of thinking and become a positive, productive citizen. The road to that end is rough and ugly and hard. Success means that an individual may have to suffer loss and swallow pride. Success means that the value of living right outweighs the effects of current circumstances. Pray for us as we work with our clients. LifeLine is a 24 hour, 365 days a year support system for its clients.

A Close Walk to Peace

Peace is achieved when members of the community come together as an expression of unity to give notice to those that may not have peace on their minds that they are no longer welcome in our community. That is why A Closer Walk to Peace was so important to the Frayser Community.

Frayser is a neighborhood that is in transition. We are attacking all of the things that are not constructive in our community. We are doing that in collaboration, something that has not truly taken place in our community before. Blight, infant mortality, youth violence, domestic violence and other socially acceptable norms are our targets.

I was very moved by the show of force that was displayed this weekend at the walk. It was attended by people that have the access to the resources that our community so desperately needs. They were able to see first hand what obstacles our neighborhood faces on a daily basis.

If you were not there, I wish you could have seen it! There were over 10 police cars there, waiting to escort us on our trek from Ed Rice Community Center on Watkins to the James E. Smith Resource Center on Frayser Blvd (two of the busiest streets in Frayser). As we began the walk, the officers stopped traffic in both directions, ALL four lanes. Then we proceeded down Watkins. As we descended down the hill, all we could see were blue lights flashing. The police had blocked every street and parking lot entrance from Whitney to Frayser Blvd. Someone said that it looked like the President was coming! We had an escort in the front, and all traffic was blocked from behind. The cars had to follow the walk. Neighbors began to look out of their windows. Store owners came out to witness. Even the passers by began to inquire as to what was going on. They had never seen that many police in our neighborhood like that before for a good cause.

When we reached Frayser Blvd, the entire intersection was at a standstill. When we turned the corner, we saw that Frayser Blvd. was secured that same way that Watkins was. The manager at Taco Bell even came out and asked what we were walking for. It was a very good day!

I would like to thank Mayors AC Wharton and Mark Luttrell, District Attorney General Amy Weirich, City Councilman Kemp Conrad, MCS Commissioner Stephanie Gatewood, Principal Bobby White, Pastors Walter Smith, Michael Ellis and Jerry Jenkins, Minister Derek Flake, Elder Charlie Caswell, Steve Lockwood, Peter Abell, Zach Thomas, Christine Grandberry, Lee Harris, Terry Spicer, LifeLine board members Minister Samuel McPherson, Kelly Price, Nicole Gates, Shelly Rice, and Patsy Anderson and a host of others for their participation in the walk.

And to our sponsors: Harold Collins for City Council, Myron Lowery, Lee Harris, Kemp Conrad, Amy Weirich, Peter Abell, Dr. Bill Byrne, Texas De Brazil, The Frayser Exchange Club, Hampton Inn, Rangeline CDC, BoneFish Grill, National Civil Rights Musuem, AutoZone-Frayser, Jewson Enterprises- Austin Texas, Smith Printing & Marketing, W.E.B.S, we could not have done this without you!

I can not forget our staff: Starr, Candi, Renee, Tasha, Andrea, and Marshaye. Thank you ladies!

Frayser is on the move, and we are glad to be a part. Unity drives out evil and makes neighborhoods, neighborhoods. God bless!