Psalm 118:24,
"This is the day which the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it" (NKJV Thomas Nelson, Inc 1984).
I rush to Praise Team Practice at church. My mind races with all the details of schoolwork I have yet to do. When I walk in, though, I stop and stare. People are praying and the air resonates as if an electricity charge permeates the sanctuary. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. At once, I feel I am an intruder treading on sacred ground.
I close my eyes and imagine I am transported to an ancient monastery where monks chant in a cadence as old as time. The air is redolent of frankincense, balsam and ginger . The spices mingle with the drip, drip of beeswax candles on crackling parchment paper.
In the mist of all this the awe of God's Presence fills the sanctuary with the fragrance of roses and lavender. Suddenly I am no longer an intruder but welcome as a friend. Calm infuses my being cleansing me of all doubt and fear. Time resumes as I open my eyes and step into the modernday shoes of a Praise Team member who, like the monks of ancient times, lift my voice in songs of praise. I am thankful to be here, now, so others can hear of God's loving Grace.
Profiling Ministries of Grace
Heart to Heart: An Interview with Marilyn Waughmans
In the Mishawaka/South Bend Indiana area you will find many individuals who are dedicated to serving low-income households. However, there is one who I've come to know as a good friend. Her name is Marilyn Waughmans and I'd like to share with you what I know about her.
About Marilyn Waughmans
Marilyn is a caring, compassionate, humble woman who selflessly gives of her time to help those in need. She is uncomfortable when praise is offered for what she does because she would rather have the attention focused on the people she serves.
People like your mother, father, sister, brother or grandparent who found themselves without the means to pay for both medicine and food. Instead they come to Marilyn and most times, she can help with one or the other. Sometimes both.
I had the privilege of interviewing her this week.
Here are some of the questions I asked her and her responses.
About Stone Soup Community
Q. What inspired you to become involved with Stone Soup Community?
A. I had been working in another agency that served the low-income population when the executive director was fired and everyone else walked out. There were thirty plus volunteers with no place to work. Stone Soup Community was born from that.
Q. How did you get involved in social and civic matters?
A. I believe strongly that a human right is a terrible thing to waste. For that reason I enjoy doing things to make peoples' lives better.
Q. What are the needs of the community?
A. There are myriad needs in the community. Hunger, homelessness and people who have no clue where to go for help. Lack of transportation. Being able to find suitable work for a living wage.
Q. Describe for me what happens when a client comes to visit?
A. First, we assess what the crises needs are. Beyond that we address the issues that cause the crises. Either by ourselves or in collaboration with another agency, we resolve the crises of the moment and resolve the issues that precipitated it.
Q. What is one of your most rewarding experiences?
A. Recently, two young men lacking transportation and looking for jobs came in requesting bus passes. They received bus tokens equal to three round trips, and some decent clothes they found in our free clothes closet. Afterwards they went job hunting. They returned, demonstrated they had found work and then received bus passes.
Q. What frustrates you the most?
A. The thing that frustrates me the most, is when a client refuses to cooperate to help themselves. Like, when we send them for an appointment for say, budget counseling, and they don't keep the appointment.
Q. Which direction do you see Stone Soup Community going in the future?
A. We are in the process of learning ourselves, and training counselors to solve issues in addition to, bandage patching them. For example, encouraging collaboration between other helping agencies, and using common data with permission of clients in order to serve them better.
Advice For The Community
Q. What are some ways the people in the local community can get involved in Stone Soup Community?
A. Volunteer, give money and pray for us.
If you would like to help or have a desire to start a similar ministry of Grace, please feel free to use the following:
Contact Information:
Stone Soup Community
Marilyn Waughmans
South Bend Office:
574-968-5204
Mishawaka Office:
574-250-1922
Silence
The stillness of time as you wait in the car during rush hour traffic,
the space between musical notes,
the calm before a storm,
the eerie quiet of a snowbound forest,
In all of these one hears the voice of God.
So wherever one travels across life's sod
One is comforted by the essence,
Of His Presence.
Written on:
April 25, 1994.Written by:
Belle Anne Leslie
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