Turbulent Times

“Fear not, for I am with you!” – Isaiah 41:10

It’s hard to imagine that just a few days ago, GUM was hosting a Spring Break Block Party. At first only 10 people showed up. An hour into the party, it was packed. Neighbors from all around came together to play, eat, and enjoy the evening together. Nights like this are such a joy for us at GUM. We see the vibrancy within our community. We see the beauty of the families; the joy of the children and the youth. We celebrate together, not because of a holiday, but because we desire relationships. Relationships are intrinsic to our nature. 

While the Block Party was going on, I was boarding a plane to Kenya on the other side of the world. Danielle and I had started the journey  days before, while COVID 19 was being discussed. At that time, the virus was not a threat (at least not in my world). However, upon return, our flights were cancelled, we were rerouted several times and screened by Homeland Security. In one week, life had drastically changed.

While traveling by air, there are brief moments where your stomach drops due to the turbulence during flight. A pilot friend of mine says that “Turbulence is unstable air that you cannot see.” Typically, turbulence is only seconds of our flight, yet, it still reminds me of the possibility of what could happen. It reminds me that I am not in control. 

I share all of this to bring to light what many in our community go through on a daily basis; we experience unstable times with things we cannot see. This uncertainty  reminds us that we are not in control. While missing or skipping a meal is a choice for most of us, going without is a regular occurrence for many who struggle in our community. Uncertainty is often the only certainty in the lives of those living in high stress, high-risk communities. 

Listening to and learning from our community is rooted deep in our philosophy of ministry; GUM values and needs our community. We once asked a group of families who were a part of the GUM community to explain some of the realities of living in financial poverty. The response that has rung in my ears for years was “it’s like living on the edge of a cliff, you feel like you might fall off at any point.” 

Does that answer sound familiar? To me, the response sounds like … Turbulence! Maybe you have had that feeling for the first time in the past week. Maybe you even made a choice you would have never thought you would have to make. Let me encourage you with a great TRUTH from God… Fear not, for I am with you!

For those of you who have followed GUM for a while, you know that relationships are what we do. We dive in deep and work in turbulent communities. GUM builds holistic relationships to transform the community. We walk through tough and turbulent times with people in our neighborhood. We are accustomed to uncertainty and we’ve learned to see beauty in challenges. 

As you reflect and process what is going in in your own world, please remember communities like mine, who live with uncertainty and turbulence every day. 

Thanks for partnering with us for lasting change…Until the next block party!

Josh