The past two weeks have been amazing. It has been such a blessing as a leader to watch the lives of both the people of New Orleans and of Glasgow be transformed. As team 1 is getting a few hours of sleep before they fly home and team 2 has crashed after a long day in the sun, I finally have a chance to reflect...
Today was awesome. We were at Feed the Multitudes, a free food festival for the poor of New Orleans. Four thousand guests poured through the gates of the Lakefront Arena today and were overwhelmed at the display of unconditional love before them. They were offered assistance writing resumes, health screenings, haircuts, manicures, and pedicures. There were huge water slides, balloon animals, snowballs and face painting for the kids. Guests ate endless portions of jambalaya, red beans & rice, chicken and hot dogs under an entertainment tent that was bigger than any one I've ever seen. And when they left, they were offered prayer and not one, but two loaded bags of groceries to take home.
Our team was spread out among almost all of these activities and so was I, but it was at the end of the day when the festivities were almost over that I had the chance to be Jesus to a woman named Agnes (pronounced Ahn-yes). Under the spa tent, in the heat of the afternoon, Agnes came to my station for a pedicure. It was the first pedicure she had ever had. I washed her dirty feet, massaged them, filed them, and polished them. I listened to her story and told her parts of mine. But it wasn't until later that I realized that that was the exact example that was given us by our Lord Jesus. He didn't just preach and perform miracles from on high. He came to where the people were and loved them as they were. He washed the dirty, grimy feet of the disciples. He called us to kneel as servants to others and love them unconditionally. And that is why we are here.
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