Recently, I attended one of The Mustard Seed's baseball games. Those who come to The Mustard Seed have played the sport in a city-wide baseball league for nine years. The experience was great for our clients.
When I first arrived, I met Rick, who joyfully said, "We've had a good run. Everyone's having lots of fun."
Of course, that was the whole point: fun. No matter what the weather, that's how our team felt. One minute they were playing in the rain. The next minute, the sun came out for everyone to enjoy. And, a fun game of baseball was just one way to help them build community in their lives.
Did I mention that Rick is looking forward to getting a place of his own soon? While it's easy to think that all of our clients are homeless, some of them are working poor, like Rick. They are working but are lonely, or they don't have enough money to make ends meet.
While Rick used to have evening meals once upon a time, that's not all The Mustard Seed provides him with now. The Mustard Seed is still growing hope and building community right out there on the baseball field. That support network makes our clients feel valued, supported, and worthy of achieving more.
I will never forget the smile of Rick and the other clients who were cheering on the sidelines that night. They were happy, carefree, and knew that someone cared about them. Sometimes that's all that's needed to make all the difference in the world. It's important to remember that we can all make a difference. What other small things can you do to make an important difference in our community?
When I first arrived, I met Rick, who joyfully said, "We've had a good run. Everyone's having lots of fun."
Of course, that was the whole point: fun. No matter what the weather, that's how our team felt. One minute they were playing in the rain. The next minute, the sun came out for everyone to enjoy. And, a fun game of baseball was just one way to help them build community in their lives.
Did I mention that Rick is looking forward to getting a place of his own soon? While it's easy to think that all of our clients are homeless, some of them are working poor, like Rick. They are working but are lonely, or they don't have enough money to make ends meet.
While Rick used to have evening meals once upon a time, that's not all The Mustard Seed provides him with now. The Mustard Seed is still growing hope and building community right out there on the baseball field. That support network makes our clients feel valued, supported, and worthy of achieving more.
I will never forget the smile of Rick and the other clients who were cheering on the sidelines that night. They were happy, carefree, and knew that someone cared about them. Sometimes that's all that's needed to make all the difference in the world. It's important to remember that we can all make a difference. What other small things can you do to make an important difference in our community?
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