Grace Happenings

I read once, when we make the most important decisions in our lives, there are no balloons and there are no parades. We just simply say, "Yes, I will."

by David McKenna, dmmckenna@finsvcs.com

I was living in New York at the time, but out of nostalgia for the lovely but now gone Bridgeport of my childhood, I went to a fundraiser for a Catholic shelter & soup kitchen mission in downtown Bridgeport. They showed a video of teenagers on the streets-- hungry, abandoned, homeless, already looking worn and tattered by life. Suddenly I realized tears were running down my cheeks. Very embarrassed, I tried to hide my tears. In hindsight, I was truly moved by the Holy Spirit. "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me..." I wrote a check to the soup kitchen. I was hooked. I soon found myself on the Board of Directors, and my life had taken a new direction.

I was constantly looking for new ways to meet the mission's ever-growing needs, particularly feeding so many hungry. Sometimes, the obvious is right in front of our eyes. One morning as I waited in line for a bagel at Connecticut Muffin here in town, the conversation behind the counter ran to throwing out the bagels and baked goods from the day before. At 7:30 in the morning, dressed in a suit with all the other suits, I blurted out, "Can I have those?"

They stared at me. "What?" the owner demanded. Embarrassed, I cleared my throat. "I'd like to take those. I'd like to take them to a soup kitchen in Bridgeport." Now, I had clearly ruined the flow of the morning march for the others in line. Everything went silent. Taking the plunge, I took a deep breath, stepped aside, and bravely discussed a daily pickup of the leftovers with the owner.

So began my journey. Later, I asked Brueggers and Starbucks for their leftovers too. As long as I was making the trip to Bridgeport, I figured I might as well have a full car. Five days a week...soon I became the odd businessman around town juggling yesterday's boxes of muffins and lugging garbage bags of onion and garlic bagels, like a misfit Santa Claus with a convertible sleigh. That was 12 years ago; so many stories grow from there. A friend of mine makes a joke by putting his thumbs and forefinger together in the simple shape of a circle; he smiles as he says it all started with a bagel.

The Father's love and restoration of those who come to the mission continues to confound me. I don't understand it, nor can I explain it except to see that it is through faith, that I see these lives changed. My own has been changed just by being a part of it.

I am so grateful for all the ways Grace Community Church has embraced my walk with Bridgeport Rescue Mission. I receive clothes, toys, furniture, almost on a daily basis. On the last Saturday of every month, I take volunteers from Grace to serve packaged meals from the mobile soup kitchen. Grace holds an annual toy drive, which we deliver on Christmas morning. The Sunday School at Grace puts together gift packages for the children at the mission every month, and holds food drives. There are so many ways to get involved. It can be just as simple as saying, "Yes, I will."

From:	Grace Community Church <newsletter@gracecommunity.info>
Subject:	Grace Happenings
Reply:	newsletter@gracecommunity.info