all ya gotta do

I've mentioned before how I love going to garage sales and buying stuff and re-selling it on Craigslist. Which is why I'm particularly interested in going to the HUGE swap meets they have in Miami. I haven't really had the time or the money to dive into one yet, but, someday soon I hope to.


One thing I always listen for when buying something are the words "all ya gotta do", which implies there is something minor wrong with the item and a quick cheap fix will take care of it. When I hear those words, I kind of cringe, and look at the item with a much more critical eye, because, if that's really I'll I gotta do, then why didn't the seller do it?


It's easy for us to step back from something and offer our unwarranted advice. Hoping to input a "quick fix" solution for someone else's problems. However, many times, the issue is much deeper than what appears on the surface. We're finding that many of the people on the streets have deep rooted and complicated issues and a simple "get a job" mentality really isn't the fix they need.


It's a long process of gradually gaining mutual respect that leads to being able to get to the real issues. However, it's not just like that for people on the street. It's the same for the people that sit next to you in church, or in the cubical next to yours, or the the people next door. Building relationships is the beginning of being able to speak into others lives and every action taken is either a step up or a step down in that relationship.


Please pray that God gives us wisdom in everything we say and do out on the street. Please pray that we are able to gain great big steps every time we encounter those God has sent us to.