Limping Home

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Changing Demographics in the Homeless Community
Most people have a certain idea in their minds of what a homeless person looks like. We can certainly vouch that demographics change in different areas, but we have seen an alarming trend here in Hickory. There is a growing number of elderly and disabled people who are homeless or unhoused in our area. The extreme housing crisis consists of hardly any low-income housing being built despite a growing population in our area. The lack of housing becoming available is leaving more and more vulnerable folks on the street.

We pack our van full of walkers, canes, and wheelchairs every day as we make our way over to our day program Strong Life Rescue Mission near Conover. We take on the role of a CNA some days helping people with basic needs that are limited by mobility. It is a heartbreaking way to share Christ’s love for those that are truly in the greatest need in our community. We certainly ask for your prayer in this situation that doors would open to care facilities, senior housing, or we can find housing in other cities for those that are most vulnerable. Please pray for strength and patience for our staff as well during this season.

Back with Family
At Strong Life, we have seen two men in the past month transition back to their families. Due to the lack of housing in our area, both men were offered an opportunity to go back to family or extended family, who lived out of town and out of state. Peter is back with his family in Lenoir and came back to see us to get some of his mail and we were able to bless them with some food on their way back. Another young man Thad is back with his extended family near Charleston, West Virginia, and has started working and walking in newfound recovery.

We are reminded in our time with people that the journey seems a bit longer when you’re headed home with a limp. It reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient for the journey even when we don’t feel we have enough of our own strength to take another step. We can testify that God will give us strength and lead us home while showing us a way to a stronger life.