Carrie

Who did Jesus spent most of his time with while he was here on earth? He was God incarnate......and yet he never ascended on a throne or live in a castle and wear a royal robe. What was his purpose on earth? What did consider important doing with his time? With Whom did he spend the majority of his time?
I just open my Bible to the first Gospel...after Jesus was born and enter into his ministry and chose his disciples...who are the people that he spent his days with and why??

The Sick and Diseased
Those Suffering From Great Pain
Those who were Epileptics
Those who had Demons
Those who were Paralyzed
The Crowds
Those who were Insulted by Society
Those who were Hurt by Others


Those with Skin Disease
Those who were Bedridden
Those who were Demon Possessed
 Those who were Sick
Again Those who were Demon Possessed
Again Those who were paralyzed
A Tax Collector
A Dead Girl and Her Family
A Sick Woman
Two Blind Men
Again Those whoe were Demon Possessed
UNbelievers
The Sick
Demon Possessed
A Man with a Crippled Hand
Those with Evil Spirits
5000 Hungry People
A Non Jewish Woman
The Lame
The Blind
The Sick
Those who Couldnt Speak
The Crippled
Another Hungry 4000
A Sick Boy
Children
Another Two Blind Men (this was from Matt 4-about 21)

This is not an exhaustive list....these are just some of the people during Jesus ministry and life that he spent time with.....most of his time with....
What is unique about these individuals.....most of them were the OUTCASTS of SOCIETY!

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17


As a family we've started to walk alongside a woman named Carrie.  Our paths had crossed many times over the past 4-5 months. But it was not until Easter that we intentionally connected with her.
We saw her every Sunday on the "island" at the intersection of Thornydale and Cortaro Farms road.....selling papers in her neon orange vest. 
On Easter we decided that we really like the opportunity to bless her and see if we might be able to get to know her a bit. 
She loved the Easter basket Christopher made for her and her doggy MAMA. She loved the color purple which happened to be the color of her basket. She loved the little doggie treats for MAMA and the BIBLE.....We stood there on the "island", which is the little median between the road, and we met our new friend .
She shared a bit of her very hard life...which started with her being on the street by the time she was 13 years old......followed by various addictions, loss of her possessions, loss of family, more addictions, some jail time, some prision time, some invovlement in drugs, ect ect....
As she spoke, she often reflected on Jesus....saying she did know HIM and felt HIM profoundly at certain times in her life and FELT COMPLETELY ABANDONED at other times....BY EVERYONE..
She does have faith.....she has made bad choices and let habits control times in her life....but she does keep her heart open to God....she still has HOPE...MOST DAYS.

As we talk many people pass by.....she says casually....while waving and saying HAPPY EASTER to passerbys....."THEY ACT LIKE I HAVE A DISEASE" I know they see me but they dont return my waves....I guess people dont understand.

She tells us about how she lives in a tent....yeah I had some food from the food bank but the rats got to it......

She points to a little dirt road behind the convenient store and there we see a blue tarp and a little one person tent.....'YAY I live with another couple..because I feel better not being alone....even though they are very abusive to each other and do drugs...its better than being alone...it provides me a little protection....
We prayed with her and had a little CHURCH as she stated.....I told her we would see her next week and wed continue to pray for her as a family......she said that one organization was going to be helping her get INDOORS....

The next Sunday we brought her two outfits....Purple shirts and some jeans. I saw her on Monday walking with her new clothes on and it made my heart happy.

This Sunday we stopped at the intersection before turning onto the street to get to church......say hi and give her a few dollars for a paper.....

On the way home from church....heading to a BUFFET lunch...we stop to see if she might want to join us...we forgot that she has MAMA so she says she will stay....we promise her that we will be back in a bit with hot food and some clothes...
She shows me her shoes and the sole is about 3/4 detached.

So we go to the BUFFET...which I have to be honest...I didnt enjoy as much as a normally would thinking about my friend out in the sun.....

We went to a second hand store and Target and found some great  PURPLE attire...including a cool Jansport BACKPACK....and Purple shoelaces. 

She told us that if she wasn't at the island...she would be behind the circle K. OK.
So we drive around and dont see her....at the island or the CIRCLE K or behind the Circle K....maybe she is somewhere else....then Jason drives around the other side where the dumpter is....let me check and see if she is there....and she is there sitting on a milk crate with her dog. It is the most shaded area.  

 We sit together....and talk....Shes having a very hard day....I see the depression on her face....as she opens up she tells me how in the past month she has lost 4 "friends," all who are homeless as she is.

One fellow paper "hogger" fell of the edge of the island and got hit by a car...another friend died of natural causes....and more recently(which was on the news the other night) a woman friend....found dead with foul play indicated. 

She speaks slowly and pointedly....we didnt see eye to eye...but we are all human right? Sadness is all over her face.....I see it.....I feel it...she is holding back tears...

We talk about  other things......she tells Christopher to take good care of his teeth....and then goes on to tell us  how she lost her bottom dentures in a fire last year.....(Last year, the tent camp she lived in with a lot of other homeless people had a big fire and a whole homeless community lost everything) 

She then tells us about the last person that she most recently lost....someone very special....she said it was any other day....her mom called her on her phone...she has a cell phone that sometimes she can put minutes on if she makes enough on Sundays....Her mom tells her to sit down...she is sitting in her tent with her dog....when she hears that her ex-wife has died. Most likely drug overdose. 

She says.."I tell my mom to wait..I walk outside my tent....I look at my tent...I see the street a few cactus...my dog...I see the gound...okay yes its still under me.....the gound that is.....my mom is speaking in my ear...are you okay Carrie...Im not getting off the phone until I know you are okay.......Im starting to grasp living in a world where the love of my life is no longer in it......it was that hardest day"

We talk a lot more into great detail about life.....I try to speak to her broken heart....
She does acknowledge God and I encourage her that God loves her and has a plan for her.....sometimes hard things happen.....it can push us.....into something else....
I really feel the HOLY SPIRIT...........speaking to her...Im sorry I dont remember the exact words but she has recieved them well and I see her face turning now....

She evens says" WOW.....you know when you feel the HOLY SPIRIT...its undeniable "

While we are talking Christopher is close by in the desert building something with rocks......Carrie tells us that it looks like a memorial...and she is so happy...she says...."the innocence of a child...." and dedicates those rocks to her fallen friends and loved ones.

We talk more and Jason and Christopher play with MAMA...she hasnt had this much attention in a while....she gets a little over excited and claws Jason's leg....

Lexi wakes up from her nap in the stroller and that is our key to leave....it is really hot outside....probably 90....the shade is nice...

I give her my phone number and we decide to fill up her card so she can call us and the agencies she needs to get food and services...ect...

We pray together and hop into the car and head home............

We were supposed to go on a hike this afternoon but that was so much better of a way to spend our SUNDAY together as a family. 

I love to see Christopher's heart growing...his compassion...his comfort in helping people and being with people that are not like himself.....we protect him....shield him for the full reality of this woman's life and habits.....but we will continue to treat her with love and respect and adopt her into our family.....

We pray for her turn around....we believe in the MIRACLES that God can do.....redemption and ressurection....amen..
Until next time

The Molanders