more than a trip to ny...

I just got back from a trip to NYC. It’s a lot to take in! There’s so much to look at and so many people from all walks of life. I felt like I saw the world in one small, big city. While the sights were fun and really cool that is not what I will remember most about my trip. I had an experience on the subway that really disturbed me on a number of levels. My friend had warned me that she see’s all kinds of crazy parenting on the subway and I said if I saw that I would probably have to say something. She quickly reminded me that when you see a crazy parent, acting crazy you really won’t interfere and as hard as that was to swallow she was right!
On the subway, after seeing the statue of liberty, I saw a man with 2 small kids and a young teenage girl talking loud and seemingly fine. All of a sudden, he was very angry, yelling and cussing in this young girl's face. I imagine she said something that lacked appreciation and that lit him up. In about 5 minutes amidst a ton of colorful language we learned their story. The girls mom had died and he was taking care of all the kids on his own, which he made clear was more than some fathers would ever do. I was most saddened by the fact that he degraded this girl in front of several people who did not even look at the situation with his 2 little toddlers watching the whole thing. He told the girl to sit away from him and to go home to her grand-dad. He wanted nothing to do with her. That was putting it nicely.
So there she sat with a scowl that could kill. Soon the subway came to a stop and several more people shuffled on. I wondered what they thought of this silent, angry girl on the subway. If only they knew the hurt she had just endured by someone who should be loving her! And then I realized how often we look at grumpy or hard people and think sarcastically ‘what is their problem?’ What if we really cared about what their problem was and actually had compassion enough to love on them when they most needed it. How badly I wanted to go, hug her and tell her she was worth more than all the money in the world and loved by an un-conditional God. I suddenly felt a heavy weight placed on my heart. I was deeply burdened for people - for hurting people, lost people. We have to reach them with God’s love. We have to share hope! But there was more on my heart as time went on….
I also felt God showed me how self-indulgent people there and really how people (including myself) in our culture have become. Really why do most of us exist in this world? We work really hard to make money and spend it on stuff that will impress people we don’t even know. It's the search for anything that will satisfy now! There is more to life then that! What am i supposed to do for Christ in this world? I crave ministry again. Having that opportunity to speak into people’s lives is so incredible and yet it’s not time for that yet. There must be something more I can do as a simple mom - God speak and open my ears to hear You!