“Fear is a reaction.
Courage is a decision.”
Last night, Mags Miss was a team of one. That one was me. I got up early and shopped for Crustables pb&j. I had oranges and the famous homemade cookies. I had plenty of water and even Gatorade. I found some fruit cups and Goldfish crackers. Pretty close to a meal.
I made up new hygiene kits for everyone. It was easy to put clothes together since Caitie and her Crew organized it. Without anyone else in the van, I had room for shoes.
We swept a couple of abandoned schools to make sure no one was living inside. Or not living inside.
A lady who lived across the street asked us who we were there for.
“Hopefully, no one.” And I explained why we were there.
“Oh, thank you! God bless y’all! We need y’all out here!”
It helps to know that we have community support.
The air was bathwater warm. The sky was cloudy white, like a big porcelain tub and I was relaxed in it. My head is comfortably above water.
I got separated from the group. I almost gave up and drove back to the part of town I knew. But then they caught up with me and told me about 5 people who were living in tents in this park. I drove there, and there were more like 15 people by the time I got there.
A frail man walked up to my van with a couple of small bags in his boney arms. I introduced myself. I asked him if he needed any food or hygiene items. He told me that he just got some stuff from the other team.
“So then, I’m not sure how to help you.” I said.
“They sent me over here because they told me your food and hygiene kits were better than theirs.” he replied.
With my shoulders square and my head high, I said, “I got you, baby. They weren’t wrong.”
Then came the swarm. 3,4,5, 10 people gathered around the van.
One older woman started complaining, critiquing, being picky. After last week, I reached my limit with that,
“Look ma’am,” I said sternly and looked her in her squinty eyes. “You’re getting free food and a well packed hygiene kit from the side of a van. Now is NOT the time to get bougie with me. If you need to survive, then you can have it. If it’s not good enough, then give it back and let me give this to someone who needs it. Because they will. Bless your heart, I will help you. This is all donated by dear sweet church ladies. Take it if you need it, otherwise “no thank you” will do.”
Auntie Kayla had to put her foot down. Everyone fell in line. Everyone else was as sweet as could be. But there’s always that one…
Next spot was what I’m built for. It’s an area of some of the most rampant and violent sex and drug trafficking in Detroit. We’ve been going there for nearly 6 years now. It must have been at least another 20 people. They swarmed the side of the van as soon as food was mentioned. Then everyone wanted clothes and hygiene, too. But it was just one of me.
I went to the back of the van. I unloaded all the clothes and shoes and set them out in the street. That drew the big crowd away so I could get to the people still waiting. I saw a pregnant woman who looked like she was obviously still doing sex work. She asked for extra food because she pregnant and extra hungry. The man next to her said he wasn’t pregnant, just extra hungry. I gave him extra food, too.
After I asked if there was anything else, he asked me to pray for them. I did. I prayed for God’s protection over them. I prayed that they would understand that they were unconditionally loved by the creator of the universe. They were not forgotten. I prayed for them to know how important they were to God. That they would understand that love was all they needed to know to go to Heaven. And we all said together,
“Amen.”
When I looked up, he was weeping. I believe that means he felt it.
I gave them all a big bag of toilet paper rolls I had collected from work. Three cheers for tp!
I also handed out a bunch of pepper sprays the ladies were overwhelmed with joy to see. Serial rapists are in the area. The girl I spoke with had been abducted twice that day already. One man, she said maced her. She was so relieved that she and all their girlfriends had a fighting chance now.
Next spot.
One man. Then 3 ladies. Then 3 or 4 men. Then a couple of more ladies. Then I was picked clean out. Every bin was empty. I had some bottled water left, so I gave it to the other team because they were out.
It was me, a van of donations, and the reckless love God, hard at work last night.
Because that’s how we do it in Detroit.
Amen.
