September 2007
ashleycummins@gmail.com
Hello everyone! Last week my family and I took a trip up to New York to attend the National Association of Multihousing Ministry conference. We had a lot of fun having a block party, learning what other minitries were doing and I even got to shop a little! What could be better than that?
The clouds began to darken and tiny drops started to fall. We wrapped the block party up and headed back towards the church. Although I meet a lot of people during our prayer walk time I was soon to meet a woman who would change my life...
It was nighttime in the City. We were all stuffed with cheesecake and heading for the subway. While we were in the stuffy terminal waiting for the arrival of our train, a tiny, frail woman in ragged clothes rushed down the cement stairs crying her eyes out. She pushed through our group and hid in the corner, tears still streaming down her dirty face. I watched her. Was I the only one who had seen this woman? Should I go talk to her?
Mr. Bill, a man from our group, approached her. Then he looked in my direction and motioned for me to come. I walked over to her and Mr. Bill asked the wreck of a woman, "What's your name? Why are you crying?"
Between sniffles she coughed out, "Janice. Someone on the subway grabbed my money and ran off! I made that money drawing!" She held up her paper bag that had pencil sketches on it. "It was a lot! At least 20 dollars!" She yelped. The memory of her bad luck jolted her and she started to sob again.
Mr. Bill shushed her. "You don't do drugs do you?" He asked as he handed her a dollar.
"No, I'm in a program tryin' to get off herion. I only take 50mg of methadon now." She sniffled.
I felt in my pockets for anything I could give. All I had were some sermon notes from the night before. I shruged as I handed them to her, "Maybe this will help..."
We prayed with her and as we finished a whoosh of air came pulling the train behind it. We all boarded the train and sat down, never to see Janice again.
How did she change my life you're wondering? I realized that God will reveal people to me that I'm supposed to help. It made me feel like my presence and what I could offer was the most important at that moment for that person.
I hope that wherever Janice is she has read the sermon notes I left with her titled, "Crisis, The Breaking Point When ONLY Jesus Is With You."
With love,
Ashley