Dear Friends,
A friend and spiritual mentor of mine often reminds me: “God writes straight with crooked lines.” I believe it is a quote from the Spanish medieval Christian author, St. Teresa of Avila.
Kevin’s story of finding a home for himself is a story of God writing straight even though the path to Him may include the crookedness of homelessness, addiction, loss, and loneliness. It’s a story of finding a physical space of safety and belonging in a home, while also recognizing that ultimate safety and belonging are found in a loving God. It’s a story of those whom God has redeemed, like our volunteer Randy, when he chose to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, calling others to bring their messy, crooked lives to God.
Everyone has something to contribute even if all we can offer is our weakness and dependence —God can turn that into healing and grace. So we find that, day after day at Fort Collins Rescue Mission, our Father is integrating the generous gifts of donors, the tireless work of staff, the abundant investment of volunteers, and the humble witness of good men like Kevin into a story more than the sum of its parts: the story of a real God who came to be with us, die for us and rise again so we can rise again with Him.
To borrow a phrase from another Christian author, Wendell Berry, at Fort Collins Rescue Mission we, “Practice resurrection!” Thank you for all the ways that you may contribute so that we might practice resurrection at the Mission: prayer, financial contributions, volunteering, or advocating for the marginalized in your community.
I hope Kevin’s story and this newsletter bless you this Easter!
God Bless,
Seth Forwood
Senior Director
Fort Collins Rescue Mission
This post is part of April’s Changing Lives Newsletter. This month, we’re telling Kevin’s story in By Grace Through Faith.
