A few weeks ago, Jake was finally housed after two years of living on the street. Jake is a young man in his early twenties and is a part of the Innercity Arts program at OIM. He had been living in a tent for two years. Jake did not access shelters because he did not feel safe. He expressed to me that he suffered through two Ottawa winters on the street!
Jake pointed out that he consistently called his worker and did his part to try to get housed, but there was a long wait list. Jake was so excited when he finally got the call saying he will have a warm place to sleep. He also mentioned that he got robbed twice in his last week living on the street, so he didn’t really have anything to move into the new place. Jake didn’t make a big deal about being robbed; he was just happy to finally have a safe place of his own. He also felt extremely grateful for Ottawa Innercity Ministries being there for him. He expressed that he would like to volunteer; to help clean or anything else as a thank you to the organization.
I share this story for two reasons: 1) so that you can share in the excitement for Jake. 2) To encourage you that sometimes it feels like God is quiet when we need him, but we need to continue to trust in Him. It might not be waiting for housing; maybe you’re going through financial difficulties, or you and your partner have been trying get pregnant for years. When we feel like God isn’t answering our prayers it becomes easy to let our emotions change our view of God. Our emotions are constantly changing but our God never does. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His Word and His promises hold true for us.
There are countless examples in the Bible where God’s people had to wait and trust that God would fulfill His promises: Abraham and Sarah, Joseph in prison, Israelites in Egypt (and after the Exodus), Job, etc. I can also think of several examples in my own life where I did not understand God’s timing, but He has shown Himself to faithful every time. I would like to encourage you all to reflect on some examples in your own life as well. Allow those examples to provide you peace in whatever situation you may be facing now.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5,6 (NIV).
~Jordan – Youth Program Coordinator
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