Love is an action that can restore lives.

In John 13:34 we are commanded to love each other as we have been loved by Christ, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
When someone walks through our doors, we take action to make them feel loved and welcomed. We want them to know that they are in a safe place where people truly care about them. When we give God’s love to others, there is hope for true restoration.
Throughout the week, our campus has been celebrating the Advent theme of Love. Living in a homeless shelter and being away from the normalcy of spending time with family and friends can make our guests and residents feel unloved and undignified. Special activities like a meditation station, card making, and grief groups provide unique opportunities to express, feel and embrace God’s love. We are hoping that throughout the week God’s love would be present and felt by all on our campus. We know the power that God’s love can have on lives and the restoration it can bring.

Guests and residents have been encouraged to journal throughout the week in order to process all that they are experiencing. Below is a poem by a guest who expressed what love meant to him:

“L- stands for the unconditional Love and Loyalty that God provides in our lives
O- stands for the Overwhelming concern and care that He gives us
V- stand for the Victory we have in Jesus
E- stands for the Excitement we feel when we walk with the Lord
You can only know true love when you let God into your heart and life completely.”
His poem rings true in so many ways and is a great reminder of how God loves us. His love can soften even the hardest heart and breathe life into souls seeking second chances.

God’s love is indescribable when you experience His love it radiates through you. It’s hard not to put God’s love into action when you’re experiencing the incredible power it has in your life. Unfailing love from Jesus that will never leave us produces joy in our lives. Starting next week, our Advent theme is joy and we are expectant with hope that our campus radiates the joyfulness that comes from to love of Jesus.