Nicole’s e-Pistle
April 2, 2025
Hello, friends!
I almost didn’t share this story with you, because on the surface it sounds like bragging. After all, Jesus tells us to give with the right hand so that the left hand does not know what is happening. However, since it is not me who is giving, but all of you who donate so generously to this church, I suppose it is okay just this once…
I average probably two or three calls per month from people who need assistance of some kind, usually with housing or electric bills. I have filtered folks to other organizations when I felt it most appropriate, but there are times when I just feel compelled to check with our Missions Team or use my discretionary funds. Today was one of those days. I returned a phone call to a grandmother who lives in one of Dalton’s Stay Lodges, which charge rent weekly instead of monthly. Her granddaughter lives with her and is trying to get a job locally. In order to cover this week’s rent for her until her check arrives next week (five-week months are very difficult for monthly budgeting), I had to go to the office in person.
After sharing some phone numbers with her of organizations that may be able to help get her a more stable place to live, I packed a few things from our Little Free Pantry to take with me, stopped by the Lodge office and paid the bill, then walked around the building to her room number. She and her granddaughter invited me inside, thanked me profusely for the help, and asked me to pray with them. We held hands as I prayed that God would continue to provide for them and help them get into more sustainable permanent housing. I prayed that the granddaughter would be able to find work and reliable transportation. I also prayed that they would always know how much they are loved and valued, and that God’s presence would continue to uplift them and comfort them. When I finished, the grandmother had tears streaming down her face. She shared some of her story with me as she tried to hide her tears from her granddaughter. She wants so much to be a positive role model for all her grandchildren, so they will not be trapped in the cycles that she has lived in. We embraced several times while she shared, and my heart melted into hers as I held her.
Immediately after leaving her one-room week-to-week motel home, I drove to my Rotary meeting, where I saw a friend who was having a hard week (not a member of our church). As one of the members said a prayer over our food and asked God to bring peace to the world, my friend reached over and put her arm around my waist. I returned the embrace, and we held each other as the prayer continued. Then we listened together to the presentation given by the American Legion as they shared the important work that they do for our military veterans, especially those who struggle to gain access to their benefits and who suffer from mental health concerns. They told us that they have resources to help veterans, but that often people are too proud to ask.
I cannot tell you what it means to be part of a community of believers such as yourselves, who are just as comfortable sitting in a Rotary meeting with some of the most influential leaders in Dalton, or sitting among community members for one of our Selvidge Street Forums, or sitting at a prayer vigil with marginalized community members who are in desperate need of loving support, or sitting one-on-one with an unhoused person who needs to feel that there is still hope and that someone cares. Thank you for giving me the chance to serve alongside you. It means the world to me every day!
Blessings and peace to you all,
