God is No Respector of Persons

Harbor Light Center , Twin Cities ,Minnesota

Saturday, February 7,2015    11 a.m.

As 11 of us youth {6 guys and 5 girls} walked across the street to the Harbor Light Soup Kitchen, we passed a few people smoking and just killing time outside the door. I tried not to inhale too deeply for fear of coughing from the cigarette smoke. We were welcomed graciously into the kitchen and donned on aprons and gloves to begin our work. The guys were required to wear hair nets but since we girls “are already wearing hair nets ” {our coverings} we escaped that requirement!

“Follow her,” we were told ,as Rachelle,Jessica,Krysta , and I followed Pauline, one of the cooks, to our first assignment. We entered the chapel where a Negro pastor was praying fervently with one of the 12  guys from the Men’s Bible Study group. With the pastor praying into a mike it was anything but quiet and getting the instructions without misunderstandings was slightly difficult. Four heads were all bent close to Pauline, a quieter -spoken woman , to hear our serving instructions! Soon the meeting was over and we thought we would be able to serve in  peace and quietness ,but that was not to be with ‘Negro’ music blasting over the speakers ! We four were all assigned to serve a certain food. Rachelle served the sausages ,I served the grits, Krysta served the hard-boiled eggs, and Jessica served the pastries. One guy did not like brown eggs, another one barely glanced at the grits, and still another guy got only coffee and a pastry. After the men had their fill and were finished eating, it was our turn to eat! The sausages were cool,but still delicious, the grits were really good with a packet of sugar sprinkled over them, and the small cinnamon roll was a delicious ending to a late breakfast! While we ate , it was interesting to listen to Pauline tell how some of the things work around there .

After the left-over food was cleared away, we went back into the kitchen where a few of us were assigned to putting napkins into cups. By this time , the guys were in a back room somewhere sorting out fresh [or not-so -fresh] fruit and vegetables. At 11:30, a few men came through the line for their lunch. After their half hour was up , a bigger group of ladies came through. The cafeteria wasn’t blasting with music,but it  wasn’t very quiet either  when  20-30 Negro women were all talking at once .One sweet  lady, a Negro with dyed whitish/yellowish hair, came for a stack of napkins because one of her friends “was makin’ a big mess on the table with her salad” . Her friend was  an older white lady who I had seen put a couple dipper fulls of French dressing on her salad. Apparently the dressing wasn’t staying on the salad and was messing up the table! I was impressed with this other lady’s consideration to her friend.From previous observation, the white lady was apparently having a bad day and wore a sour attitude,but her friend still showed kindness!    There were a handful of white people ,but the majority were  Negro’s, including the staff! The women took a little longer to finish and Krysta and I had to quickly wipe off all the tables while the men  impatiently waited in line for their lunch ! They weren’t impressed to have to wait on us! There were about 50 men. Now I will say here that the people we served were not off the street. They were people who were either in Harbor Light programs or/and housed in Harbor Light. The soup kitchen opens to the public for supper at 6 and that’s when the real homeless come in. At one point the security guard asked me what I thought of it so far . My answer was,”It’s interesting.” He grinned and said,”It is interesting , but wait until evening ! That’s when it gets really interesting!”  Now I’m really curious and hope I’ll be able to serve the evening shift sometime:)

So at 12:45 the Salvation Army volunteer lady, took our group up to floor 5 where people rent apartments . Up there,Rose ,a resident and worker at Harbor Light ,told us her life story and how she came to Harbor Light and how God worked and  is still working in her life . Her background was not pretty  and she had cancer twice and is at risk of getting it again. She went through a lot in her 51 years but her faith and trust in God is strong.  She said” I fast  as often as I can  and I pray because I know that God is the Healer and that He can heal my body .” I was inspired by her testimony and walk with God  and was reminded again how interesting Heaven will be with all the kinds of God’s children that will be there:) I am also so very blessed to be as sheltered as I am from what all happens out in the world. I’m afraid it’s something I take too much for granted.

We walked from the building around 1:20 .Ironically enough,  the thing highest on all our minds was FOOD! After some time of city driving , we finally found a  Chipotle and some enjoyed tacos while others, like myself, enjoyed a giant burrito.

At 3 pm we were headed south again and were home by 5! I enjoyed the day and I was glad for the opportunity our youth had  to volunteer at Harbor Light!