KEY SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 25: 34-36

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

RELEVANCE

We disembarked the Spirit of Tasmania—the source of our motion sickness—just after 6 a.m. on Saturday, October 12. The cool breeze and stable surface helped restore our imbalanced constitution, so now we were hungry. 

The local cafés get bombarded with customers from the ship looking for a Macca’s breakie or local morning cuisine, and it would take forever to get served. Bruce knew of an interesting little eatery located about 10 minutes away, far from the madding crowd. 

We weren’t disappointed. It opened just as we pulled up. This little gem was situated down an alleyway. It was hardly noticeable from the main street, where we needed to park, and one could easily walk past it in the alley. 

Despite that, it has a cult following, and we can see why. (Not that we follow cults). The quirky decor was engaging, and the customer service and coffee were exceptional, but the alluring twist to the café was the feature wall in the back section where we ate. 

The wallpaper was made up of hymns & hymn music over 100 years old. We took some photos as reminders of God’s providence. We all agreed we were meant to see it.

Once sated, we headed to our AIRBNB digs an hour away in Blackstone Heights, Launceston (pronounced LONceston. It's a sin to say LAWNceston). Locals call it Lonnie!

In the afternoon, we went to Launceston’s Gateway Baptist Church for band set-up and music rehearsals, as we would be taking Sunday morning’s service there. It was a historic building with a rich Christian history. We also met some of the lovely locals we would be working with. 

Sunday was a work day for us. We arrived at the church early before the service to re-check the equipment and program. Barry, Sue and Bill led us beautifully through various selected songs. I was on the bongo drums.

Our leader, Nick, was the MC and the guest speaker. He gave a short version of his own life story, which kept the 50-odd parishioners heavily engaged. 

Following the service, we were invited to a lovely light lunch prepared by the church ladies' group. 

Sunday evening saw us at Shekinah House, where a team of intrepid volunteers turned up every week to provide meals for the homeless. We sang songs between courses, and Barry and Sue brought their powerful testimony of God's love through trials. 

The meal time also allowed us to meet some of the attendees and hear their stories. Homelessness in Launceston has become more prominent due to many factors, such as rising living costs and the impact of COVID-19, resulting in ongoing financial, social and housing challenges.  

Some of the homeless had sad stories—stories we wouldn't like to live ourselves. Such as Linda, an Aboriginal girl on crutches I spoke with. She made several big mistakes earlier in life, forcing her to relinquish control of her two kids—one to the father and the other to the stepfather. She misses them terribly.

With nowhere to go, her residence is a homeless shelter, and she was in tears when she shared her story with me. I was compelled to say that she needed Jesus in her life, as He is the foundation of all good things. 

Later in the week, a couple of us met with her at the shelter and gave her a copy of my book. We plan to catch up again soon to follow up.  

It's important to be wise in these situations, but we can make the mistake of judging people too easily. Without any background or knowledge of their circumstances, we think we know the source of their trouble and how to fix all their problems. 

It's easy to say... 

"If she didn't do drugs, she wouldn't be in that mess. It's her own fault."

"Why doesn't she just go and get a job?" 

"Why doesn't she fix her opioid-ruined teeth?"

"Why doesn't she...."

"Why doesn't she..."

Are we really that intuitive? Didn't Jesus help us when we couldn't help ourselves?

A catalyst in LInda's case was the verbal and mental abuse she received from her stepfather. At twelve years old, a time when you need fatherly support, he would say to her as she left the house in her school uniform, "You're nothing but a black...."

Soon after, she began looking for acceptance in the wrong places and experimenting with light drugs. This mistake led to heavier drugs and a life-route she bitterly regrets. 

Often, we wish we could take all these people back in time and help them do life again, don't we?. 

As Christians, love and mercy should be our first focus (along with discernment, as we don't want to be duped). Finding out what type of help they need comes after we meet, but certainly not before it.

We're hoping to chat with Linda about the Lord and see if we can help her practically as well. She needs both spiritual and practical help. In fact, they all do!

PRAYER

Dear Lord, Please help us all. I am no better than anybody I met at the dinner, but I am in a position to offer help. Thank you for the privilege of working in Lonnie. 

Photo by Nico Smit