Sunday was CRAZY. 

Ray brought the teaching for Street Church this past Sunday. We had a big group, with around 15 and several more popping in and out throughout the service. There was a lot of interaction with comments and questions...and some of the typical disruptions, as well. There were faces we hadn't seen in a long time...one woman we hadn't seen in 15 months due to a jail sentence. It was pretty exciting to see her there with the Center of Hope group and she talked with me about her recovery progress.
And then, in walked Richard...


...We all love Richard. We have known him for years. He is truly unhoused (we are pretty sure he doesn't have family in the area), and has been for as long as we have known him. The Warming Hut is his home, and he is one of the very few who lives on the street sober (at least from our observations). 
Richard has always been friendly, but guarded, so we don't know much about his story. He often pops in to say hi on Sundays, but typically leaves quickly and doesn't usually come back for lunch. I run into him most every week when I deliver food to the Warming Hut, and he is always excited to see me and grateful for the food. A few weeks ago the staff was asking what church I was from, so they could note the donation, and Richard quickly piped up..."yeah, what DID you decide to call that church?" I chuckled and said "Well, I guess we landed on Street Church." We laughed about how fitting the name was and I headed out.
When Richard showed up this week, I expected him to say hi and move along like he usually does. Instead, he took a seat at a table and stayed...for the whole service.
Before the service started, one of the guys we know well (Shawn, who passed away a few months ago, was his dad) asked what we were having for lunch. I told him we were going to grill burgers, and jokingly added "but don't spread the word TOO much, ok?" He laughed and said he definitely would. He wasn't lying. People came from every direction. Cars with families started pulling into the parking lot and others walked from blocks away. The 25 I thought we'd feed turned into 40. I had used most of the made-from-scratch baked beans and potato salad, and was glad I had enough. Then, I looked behind me to see a few more coming. Ray, the grill master, announced he was out of burgers, so Mark (one of our amazing team members) and I ran into Family Dollar in hopes that they had burger patties and cheese on hand. They did, and we pretty much cleaned out their small supply. As we exited the store, we saw a group of nearly a dozen heading toward the tents. Ray got back to grilling, and the rest of us continued to greet and serve those waiting on food. The last few people were only able to get burgers, but we didn't have to turn anyone away, and we fed 60 people!
I was pretty dazed at the end. As I got the last couple of plates ready to go, Richard came over to me. He had just been talking to Ray, and I had heard Ray tell him, "you need to go tell Shanna that." Richard was beaming with joy. He said "you know...this was pretty cool. The way everyone was hanging around and eating together. It felt like family. It was like a big family just hanging out, eating together, visiting, and having a good time." 
I thought about his words on the way home. I pictured his joyful face as he said them, and shed a few tears. He was right. God has not only given us an unexpected family, but has created a space where those without family feel the same. 

Much Love, 
The Choates