Christmas Devotion - Day 1

To kick off the Christmas Season, The Field's Edge is creating a storyboard about serving those that experience homelessness. We asked ten Midlanders to write a short devotional about their personal experiences which we will post each weekday through Christmas. Today's devotional is written by Laura Chandler, COO for the Field's Edge. 

Homeless. Midland v. Austin

A little over two months ago, I started a new job at The Field’s Edge. I left my home of eleven years in Austin and moved back to my childhood home of Midland. I made a pretty drastic career leap from lobbying for the oil and gas industry to the operating officer for a non-profit serving the homeless. To say the least, the last couple of months have been uncomfortable. But for me, being uncomfortable is a signal that God is hard at work in my life.

Discomfort is actually how I began my journey serving the homeless. Years ago, Christ Church Austin was badly in need of volunteers to help with its involvement in Church Under the Bridge. I volunteered because I thought, “Well…I am always uncomfortable at work talking to lawmakers and such…I can certainly power-through uncomfortable conversations one Sunday a month at Church Under the Bridge.” For seven years, I volunteered and went on to help lead the Church Under the Bridge ministry in Austin. It was a blessing and a privilege to serve the make friends under the bridges of Austin. My patience multiplied. My compassion deepened. And my knowledge and understanding grew.

As I close my chapter serving the homeless in Austin and start a new chapter serving the homeless in Midland, I know one thing is for certain, it will be more than just uncomfortable. In my short time here, my initial takeaway is how different it is to be homeless in Midland than Austin. People are more hidden here. There are fewer resources for the homeless. There are fewer places to congregate or receive any interaction at all with others. It's colder and windier here. Simply put, it seems more dire here. 

The core belief at The Field’s Edge is that the root of homelessness is not from the loss of a home, but the catastrophic loss of family and community. This is my belief as well. I believe community is a solution to homelessness but more importantly, it brings people closer to Christ which is where our real home is.

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:46-47

This season, my prayers are for our homeless neighbors of Midland. May the Lord keep them warm, full, and bring them closer to Him. I pray for success for The Field’s Edge in its fundraising efforts and its ability to provide not just a home, but community and family, to our homeless neighbors.