Today was a great day for Heal Ministries.  A large group came out to help us bring needed items for Tent City in Nashville, Tn.   This is a designated area under the interstate downtown where homeless families can reside in tents and campers.  We delivered blankets, tents, hand warmers, foot warmers, gloves, scarves, food, jackets, hats and a trailer full of fire wood.  I was humbled by the outpouring love from the community and watching the people interact with each other.  We met several of the residents and found out their biggest needs.  They are:  small propane camping tanks, tarps, tents, A, C and AA batteries, metro bus cards, WalMart gift cards and more hand warmers and foot warmers.  We are taking a second team on December 24th to deliver the needed items to them.

As always, we learned a little more from the residents of Tent City than they learned or received from us.  One resident said when asked if he needed a blanket:  "No, thank you.  I have just about everything I need but some of the other folks need blankets."  They were so humble, kind, and not greedy at all.  They truly took what they needed and left the other supplies for someone else that needed it more.

Tent City is a place where folks live temporarily until they get back on their feet.  Some of them work; some are looking for employment; some have been there a few months; some have been there a year or longer.  It doesn't matter how long they have been there or why but one thing remains constant:  They need Jesus just like every man and woman on earth.  If we can serve and be Jesus in the skin and impact one heart then we have made a difference.  If we can offer hope and a smile and a blanket during difficult times, then we have, perhaps, made Jesus smile.  And, if we can continue to serve the people in need and continue to be humbled and reminded how much we are blessed (rich or poor) we will continue on the right path that Jesus called us to be on.  What an honor to serve and show love for the ONE that gives us the ultimate, eternal love.  To focus on changing one heart at a time.....that is our mission.

 ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

 ³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

 ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'  Matthew 25