October 2024
If we love Jesus, are we doing everything to love the person in front of us? Last month we discussed the topic of trust and how trusting in Jesus can break down barriers when hardships arise. After the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and some of the disciples were fishing and from far off, they saw Jesus calling out to them. Peter dove into the water and swam to see Jesus. While waves and chaos were breaking around Peter in the Sea of Galilee, his eyes were focused on Jesus. What happened next in John 21:15-17 was nothing short of a beautiful lesson for Peter as he denied Christ three times before He was crucified. Peter knew he did wrong and instead of Jesus reprimanding him, He asked Peter one question, three times: Do you love me? Peter answers the question three times, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” and what does Jesus tell Peter to do? Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.
This is not just an act of giving food to livestock, but the commission is something deeper that runs through our veins as followers of Christ today. To feed His sheep is to feed people the words that Christ spoke, take care of them, and feed them. For three years, Jesus showed His disciples how to care for the people in front of them. Now that the time was coming for Jesus to ascend into Heaven, He gave final instructions to Peter – take care of My flock.
Just like Jesus instructed Peter to take care of His flock, we take that to heart here at TRM for our community. In the past few months, we were able to bless our guests and community members by holding our annual Back to School Distribution. From July 31 to August 2, we were able to bless 416 children in the area with the donations we received from the community. We helped families in Shawnee County by giving out brand-new backpacks, pens, pencils, markers, notebooks, and more. With everything we did for our community for the Back-to-School Distribution, none of it would have been possible had it not been for the donations of money and supplies that helped cover 90% of the materials we needed to make this possible. To be able to provide for our flock is just one way to get the word out to people that we love Jesus, and we want to be intentional for Him. Most importantly, we have taken it to heart to tend and feed the sheep that are our guests.
Over the past two years, our Hope Center has seen an incredible renovation thanks to a Federal Home Loan Bank grant. In August 2023, our Trauma and Education Department led a team of volunteers, also largely from Federal Home Loan Bank, to renovate the first floor of the Hope Center by painting the walls with trauma-informed colors and adding new floors to make it feel more like a home. In August 2024, we finished the second floor of the Hope Center, and it goes without saying that the entire building feels warmer and more welcoming. We asked the Director of Hope Center, Rachel Flenniken, how it felt that we were able to do this project for our guests. She tearfully shared, “It’s a blessing because our guests see the work we put into it. This renovation shows exactly how much we care for them, we value them, and we love them.”
Some of our guests were approached and asked how they felt about the completed renovation, and they shared the following,
“It’s absolutely wonderful. It’s cozy and welcoming.”
“I feel like I can sleep better in my room now because the floors are wood, and the walls are a nice purple. It doesn’t feel like I’m sleeping in a hospital room.”
“This feels more like a home now. Until I am ready to move out to be on my own again, I am glad to call this home.”
This project helped us demonstrate our love for the people we serve. It helped us show that often the most overlooked and disregarded demographic in our society has value. They are worth more than what they have come to believe about themselves. Why? Because they need to remember that they are fearfully and wonderfully made just like everyone else.
The big question we keep circling back to is this: If we truly love Jesus, are we loving the person right in front of us? In Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus lays it out to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind,” but He does not stop there. He says to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is a simple command with deep implications, much like when Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep. If we claim to love Jesus, then feeding His sheep is not just a suggestion; it’s our calling.
No matter what each day brings—whether it is in conversations, projects, laughter, or tears with our guests and community, we are committed to one thing: as long as our doors are open, we will tend to Christ’s sheep and always point people to Him. Because in the end, everything we do is for Him, driven by His love. †
