Last September (2010) I felt a calling to go and serve for a year at The Salvation Army Order 614.
The night I felt God lead me there was when Camberwell youth had sleepover. During the sleepover God's presence showed up heavily and I was wholly undone, totally wrecked by the holy spirit. As I lay there laughing, encountering God's Joy, completely out of it, I had an amazing vision (some of you might remember it).
I was running down Bourke St (in the city) in a white dress, and there were rows of sunflowers where the tram tracks usually are. I woke up, so happy, and knew that The Order 614 was what God wanted for my life in 2011.
Recently I've been quite angry at God. Crying out to him with questions like: "Why is it that amongst all the suffering and homelessness I am surrounded by I can't find the sunflowers and happiness?" "Why is it that I feel depressed when you promised me Joy?".... Well today folks- God answered my cries and confusion.
I was walking past Parliament house (which is the large building that is at the top of Bourke St and looks down on it). A lady who I've seen before and has been spending 5 hours, 2 days a week for the past 3 years standing outside the building with signs pinned to her body saying things like "I deserve JUSTICE!" "I was mistreated" "Where is my apology?" caught my attention. I tried desperately to read the signs without looking rude and then I continued to walk past.
I reached the gardens nearby and sat down to journal. As i began to journal I heard a voice in my head, which I knew was God whisper - "STOP FOR THE ALIEN!" as an image of the woman I had seen earlier flashed in my head.
I remembered the verse (Deuteronomy 10: 18) "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing" and realized that God was asking me to STOP FOR THAT WOMAN.
I approached her and she smiled at me and said "I KNEW YOU WOULD TALK TO ME TODAY" I was confused and asked why. She told me "I have faith everyday that someone will talk to me, I often stare at that white cross on that building and hope for a conversation with someone." (What she hadn't realized was that the cross on the building was The Salvation Army church where I am 6 days a week!
We started talking and as I looked into her eyes I felt God's heart for her. I saw her brokenness and hunger for God. The woman opened her mouth and said "Do you know why I love to stand in this spot?" (where she stood overlooked where my vision was set) "Because from right here I can see the golden angel and lion statues on 'Her Majesty Theaters' roof and I can see the white cross on that building (pointing again to 614).
She shared with me her painful stories from her past- of phyc wards, loneliness, illness, family deaths and being a single parent. As she spoke I could feel God's love for her and then I heard God speak... "Tell her what your name means..." God said. So randomly in the middle of this conversation I said something which I thought sounded idiotic but I knew God wanted me to say, so I said it- "Hey! You know what, I haven't even told you my name. I'm Samantha and coincidentally my name means 'Listener' and I'm loving sitting her listening to your stories."
Things got awkward for a second and as we sat in silence looking over the new found beauty of Bourke St, she smiled and said something that blew my mind... "MY NAME IS JOY!"
JOY!!!!!
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! SITTING ON PARLIAMENT STEPS OVERLOOKING BOURKE STREET, WHERE GOD HAD PREVIOUSLY SHOWN ME SUNFLOWERS AND PROMISED ME JOY! .... I HAD FOUND IT. I FOUND JOY. I FOUND HER.
I began to laugh uncontrollably and then she too began to laugh and weep. We sat there for about 10minutes laughing. Soaking up God's JOY.
She told me stories of being baptized as a young teenager and constantly fighting darkness to try and find God again. I offered to pray and as I did God literally spoke through me, I can hardly remember any of it. But she recommitted her life to Jesus and I remember God saying to me- "She has this name for a reason"... I told her that and she began to cry and cry and then to top it all off she said...
"I know God is speaking through you because when I was younger my parents actually changed my name to JOY and to this day every person I have ever spoken to about God has told me the same thing!"
WOW SGSYOGSgsqiGSQUISKUsayugkb!!!!
So... What have I learned from all of this? I have learned that even the ALIEN, THE OUTCAST, THE BROKEN, THE LONELY are not always poor.
This woman was seen as poor in the world- but her spirit was not poor, she was well and alive in Jesus!
So I encourage all of you to sit with the alien, the poor, or the broken hearted & let Jesus speak to and through you!