for my 3 faithful readers (possibly less)…

I’m finishing the Dan story this week…  I think I’ve allowed enough time to pass…  sorry for the cliffhanger, guys.

Dan.

I first saw Dan about 2 months ago when I started helping James run the scrap metal business. Unlike most of our other customers, Dan had a gentleness about his spirit. He was clearly gripped by the merciless hand of alcoholism, yet he was always polite and offered a sincere conversation most mornings. Dan was overweight and breathed heavily as he made his way from his car to the scales to have his metal weighed in. His hair was often in dissaray and his white t shirt was smudged with dirt and accompanied by a ripped pair of navy blue sweat pants. Dan came almost every day. He brought what ever strips of copper he had left from the trailor he had recently torn down and usually brought just enough cans to receive 2 or 3 dollars. Dan was aware that his situation was apparent to those around him. Dan had confessed to my coworker, Chris, that he needed a beer and that he couldnt make it through the day without a drink; he offered Chris a broken watch hoping he could receive some extra change for it. His forehead was damp with perspiration, his complexion flushed, and his hands trembling. Withdrawals were relentless… surviving the day meant just enough alcohol to maintain. The open brutality of the effects of years drowning in alcohol consumed Dan. My heart would clench as he approached my desk with his head down; He would say “Good Morning, Miss Lindsay, I brought a few cans for you again today.” Oh, Lord! I would cry inside, draw this trapped soul into Your Arms and heal him from this disease. Though his torment was masked by a fondness in his smile and his kind demeanor, I knew when he drove away from the scrap yard, he was battling a dark giant… day after day… minute after minute… I pleaded with the Lord to rescue him and I longed for opportunities to be a vessel for Jesus to love on Dan.

One morning, things were different. It was a humid morning with a sheet of mist hovering in the air. The weather was typical for a winter day in southeast Georgia- warm and muggy. Driving my 30 minute commute to work, I wrestled with the Lord as an image of Dan stepped into my thoughts. I felt a twinge of aggravation in my heart because I was tired and content in simply making it through the day by following my mundane routine; I shamefully acknowledged my lack of desire to dig into God’s will that morning… but the Lord, as always, had something different in mind…. (to be continued)

the two men in my life.

James Tyler

God’s blessings are just so sweet. I couldn’t write any further without giving props to these fellows…. they put up with me the most, and I get to marry one of them! p.s. have to give props to the ring too…

Hello world!

Jesus has a way of conveying a beauty that can hardly be described by words. It’s a beauty that seeps from the cracks of these broken lives we lead. When we share an intimate relationship with our Beloved, we can catch glimpses of the world through His Eyes. The images we see can grip our hearts and change our souls. The suppressed image we create in our minds of our God is revolutionized; we realize how much more we have to know of Him. When we see His magnificence in the raw, grueling circumstances of those who lead the loneliest of lives, we are transformed. We grow. The very fiber of our being becomes more intertwined with The Creator of the Universe and the architect of our souls. After moving to St. Simons Island in July of 2006, I was deeply moved by experiences surrounding the Lord’s beauty being revealed in the “trenches”. I took the hand of my Savior in anticipation and was lead down a road that He had paved for me in order to teach me and refine my faith. I have worked in the field of shattered lives, broken spirits, and profound heartache. Although the Lord has opened my eyes to the terror of satan’s destruction, He has furthermore revealed His own brilliant splendor. I moved to St. Simons with a simple hope of using my social work skills obtained through a bachelor’s degree at Auburn University, and God has exceeded meeting my desire to serve the weak and abandoned of the world by a vast margin. I burn with a longing to share the deeds and heart of our gracious God. His extraordinary presence is reaching the most ordinary of little towns such as ours on the coast of Georgia. He is adding chapters to the love story that started at the cross. From here forth I will share what He has revealed in the pages I have read so far…..