Deeper

Considering the past few days, a few notable experiences come to mind: Saturday's picnic, eating ice cream after Sunday night church, and hanging out in the park this afternoon.

First of all, the picnic is my favorite "event" that we, including the Elevations group, do. We have sandwiches, chips, cookies, and drinks to share all around. I am still a strong believer in the significance of meals (think about the Last Supper and communion... and any of the other meals Jesus shared with people), and I think that there's something about eating together that is so intimate and often overlooked. Anyway, sharing this midday meal, I met several street kids and got glimpses into lives that are so other. God keeps showing me the life behind mere appearances and granting me the patience to listen and ask questions about these lives.

After church downtown on Sunday night (which was my first ever night church experience), we wanted to hang out longer, so we went to the 16th Street Mall and ran into a few of our friends from the streets. We walked up and down the mall to find ice cream (because apparently ice cream machines like to break on the same day) and eventually stopped in a McDonald's and ate ice cream together. It was amazing to not feel a distinct rift between "us" as interns and "them" as street kids. I wonder what we looked like to people from the outside, and I also wonder at the way God is refocusing our eyes to see everyone as His beloved children. Something Dry Bones is passionate about is revealing the truth that there really is no "us" and "them;" there is just "us." I am beginning to see it and experience it.

The third notable thing I would like to share is my new friendship with a girl I'll call "Rachel." I actually met her at the picnic on Saturday. She is a photography student at the Art Institute, and today at the park I found out that she also writes poetry. How interesting; photography and poetry, two things I also enjoy. I wanted to ask her if I could hear some of her poems, but I was unsure at how she would respond so I said nothing. Suddenly, she starts speaking some of the most emotionally-charged, raw words I have heard and I look up and see that she's reading one of her poems. Finished, she looks up and tells me that the experience that prompted her to write the poem - one that made her feel like she was "crying blood" - was a bad past relationship with a very controlling man. I was so surprised that she would pour out something that was such a part of herself after knowing me for only a couple days. She also said something that made me realize a hardship that I have never had to deal with: she mentioned, in an off-hand manner, that she was unsure of where she would find food to eat later. I don't know how to respond to statements like that. I have literally no experience with not knowing where my next meal will come from. I can't even imagine feeling so unable to control something that seems as simple (now) as my diet. I look forward to see where our friendship will go in these coming weeks.