A New Day

As I left my house to walk the dog this morning, I stepped out into the beautiful soft orange glow of the sun rising. I am a nature person and one of my concerns with moving to Chicago was that I would not get to see much nature, but that has not been true. This place is beautiful! My house is on an end lot so I get lots of sunlight during the day. There are trees lining the street, a small park within walking distance, two large parks less than 2 miles from my house and there are beaches all along the coast, just 20 minutes away! So when I need to get out and experience God’s creation, I have options.

at the beach on Labor Day

Nailah playing in the water with Chloe

Another concern was that I would feel safe in my home, safe walking the dog, safe traveling to and from church, safe going to the grocery store, etc. Yes, safety was my biggest concern. I had already decided in my mind that I would go grocery shopping only twice a year to minimize the amount of time I had to spend outside. Besides being a ridiculous, fear-filled thought, that would take some very strategic meal planning and a lot of storage!

Thankfully God knows how crazy my thoughts can be. Thankfully He cares that I feel safe and He knows what would be a hindrance for me to do the work he has called me to do. I don’t mean safe in the sense that nothing bad will every happen to me or around me, but safe in the sense that gives me peace because I am in the care of a sovereign God! I have confidence, only by His grace, that His plan for my life and for this community is greater than my fears; greater than my comfort.

But God does care about the practical as well, and I do feel physically safe in my home. The owner of the house I’m living in installed safety features in and around the house. There’s an iron gate around the back of the house that stays locked and iron bars on the windows. The front and back doors are heavy duty, hard to break in doors with deadbolt locks and special safety locks on them. There are bright, motion-sensored lights on the front porch and security cameras all around. I sleep very well at night, except when I’ve seen a spider!

my new home – garden (basement) apt

sunlight coming in through kitchen window

My prayer has been that my home would be a place of ministry and God provided a safe and comfortable home for me that is suitable for that to happen. There is an elementary school behind me so I get to hear kids before and after school, which prompts me to pray for them. I’ve met some of the kids while out walking the dog and they all want to pet her. The ice cream truck stops in front of my house everyday after school with hundreds of kids waiting for their daily fix. That’s fun! There is a crossing guard on the corner that I’ve been having conversations with and a homeless guy who hangs out in the alley behind our house that I would like to get to know. He’s offered to take my trash out for me.

Nailah’s transition has been a bit more difficult. She is living in an apartment-style dorm with 3 other girls and is learning how to live with others. One of her roommates is a bit of a challenge and that has been the toughest part of the transition for her. She was flashed by a homeless guy on her first day in the city (can you say mortified!) and had a lot of anxiety the first two weeks. But the girl who said she would never leave her dorm except to go to class (sounds like her mother!) has been exploring her new city! She has even learned how to navigate the ‘L’ trains. She loves to pack her backpack, get on her bike and ride to the park to hang out. Of course, we have lots of safety conversation and lots of prayers for her protection! But I’m so proud of her for stepping out of her comfort, dealing with her fears and doing what she can to enjoy her time here. She loves her classes and is getting along with her classmates as well. While her transition has been difficult, God’s grace abounds! Please pray for her as she goes through a lot of transition.

Nailah’s bedroom window

Making her own space

Nailah’s study space

I wanted to share about my neighborhood, living situation and Nailah’s transition because so many of my loved ones have been concerned about our safety. I want you all to know that all is well. We are experiencing God’s grace every single day!

God has given me a different perspective about this neighborhood. As I drive down Madison Street to get to church each day, instead of being fearful of the pockets of guys gathered on the corners, I think of them as they are—individuals with their own stories going on—and I pray for them. Never before have I felt the need to pray more than now. There are so many reasons why people are hanging out on street corners, in the park, on their porches all day long and it’s not that everyone is up to no good. There are hard things happening in their lives. This community experiences poverty of all kinds—financial, relational, emotional and spiritual. I pray that God would heal the broken places in all those areas. I pray that God would show us how the Church can enter in to make a difference.

After being in transition at home for a few weeks, I have been at full speed with transitioning to work. It has been a joy getting to know the leadership team and the people who have been serving at Reborn for years. They have welcomed me into their community with open arms!

My first assignment was to get our website up and running. Pastor Jamie worked so hard for years on building the site and we were able to get it connected and launched! When you get a chance, check it out: reborncommunitychurch.org. Now we are in the strategic planning phase for the Reborn Urban Training Center and Reborn Ministries (which is the non-profit, outreach arm of Reborn Community Church). THIS. This is what I am so excited about! I’ll share more about it in my next post.

Thank you all for your prayers, love and support. Please continue to pray for the Garfield Park community and Reborn Community Church and its leaders.

First day in the office

I love how this sweet boy clings to Samantha

Sunday service last week

Girls doing homework at our after school program