You ever experience one of those months when the same theme keeps repeating? Sometimes, it is God pointing you toward something and we are a little too thick headed to notice so He keeps pointing it out to us.
While you may know that I absolutely love love love my job, you may not know is that sometimes I hate it. It is stressful and exhausting. Students are glued to their phones and I am constantly battling video games, SnapChat, and TikTok for their attention. I have been looking at job sites wondering if it is time to change careers. Am I supposed to do something else? Is it time to move?
Two weeks ago, the pastor asked us if we were building our kingdom or were we building God's kingdom? I thought a lot about that. I am called to teach. I remind myself of that when I have a bad day. My classroom is my mission field. I may not be allowed to witness to my students but I can shine love. I can pray for them. I can provide food for them. I can love them and before Covid, I could hug them. Now, I just do more verbal praise and check-ins for them. So, beyond a doubt, I know that I am not supposed to quit teaching. However, is there something else I can do as well?
A couple of weeks ago, the pastor told us that there was a man waiting outside the church. He had slept outside in the doorway and the pastor asked him if he wanted a shower. The man said yes. The pastor said he wanted to expand the church and have an area with washers and dryers and showers even beds. When he said it, I felt a smile come across my face. I'm going to run that one day, I thought. I am going to run a laundromat with showers!
Last week, my bestie and I went to a laundromat to wash blankets that I was donating to the church. The place we went was beyond depressing. Most of the machines were broken. Doors were missing of of the machines in an entire section of the building. The floors were dirty. It was incredibly sketchy and honestly, probably unsafe. Plus, it was expensive! We did two loads of laundry. One huge machine and one normal. Same with dryers. I think we spent about $20. If you don't have a washer and dryer at home or if you don't have a home at all, do you have $20 to do laundry? I am pretty sure the answer to that is no. And even if you did have $20, why should you have to go to a depressing dirty place to wash your clothing? I want to open a bright, cheerful laundromat where people can come do their laundry and take a hot shower (if they need one) and not charge anyone a single solitary penny.
It doesn't need to be super big. I think it needs 3 washers and dryers of normal size and 2 of each for bedding. Maybe one of those things that spin the clothes so they dry faster. I want to have about 3 shower stalls too where people can shower. Anybody know what I need to do to make that happen? Like do you know logistics? Know where there's a place that has appliances that have dings or dents that work like new? Have a building sitting empty somewhere? Know of grants? Want to donate to make this a reality? Want to volunteer? Want to buy towels? Want to pledge to buy toiletries monthly? Help me do this!
I have just left church. Today, the guest pastor talked about stepping out in faith. He said if you feel like you have a word from God and other people have agreed with you, then you should act on it even if you have absolutely no idea how it would work. I have absolutely no idea how to go about this but I know God spoke to me when the pastor said he envisioned this. I know I can see it. It's a bright welcoming building with yellow walls and clean floors with a little area with books and puzzles for kids. It's staffed by volunteers. There is waters and snacks for the people while they are doing their laundry and it's a judgement-free zone. There are fluffy towels and hot water with soaps and shampoos provided. Good stuff, not the cheap brands because just because you need a free shower doesn't mean you deserve only the cheap stuff. So, lets say 20 high end towels and wash cloths for the 3 shower stalls. Anyone else see this vision? I believe this is doable! Do you? I want to open a laundromat with showers for people in need.
Of course, as I am typing this, I keep thinking of how God offers a cleansing of all our sins. Hallelujah! What an awesome gift! He makes us clean in a totally different way and He is the only way to that cleansing. We serve an awesome God! I want to share that message more than anything. What better segue way to God washing away all our sins than a place that literally lets you wash?? How do I open a laundromat with a shower area?
