Visit with Dune and Meeting with Pastor Celebrate
Thank you all for praying for my meeting with Pastor Celebrate which took place this afternoon. We also paid a brief visit to Dune which proved encouraging.
Visit to Dune
One of the first things Celebrate said to me today was, "Dune was in very good spirits this morning when I went to pick up the kids for church. Sophia asked to go take a shower first. I almost fell over from amazement." In the past Sophia, and in fact the whole family, has rarely bathed. This was an interesting development.
After church, when we took the kids home, Dune was out front sweeping the porch with a worried look on her face. "Is everything all right?" we asked.
"I want to move over there and build a new house with some rooms." She pointing in the distance toward the original shack she fled to years ago where Lisa first met her. "What kind of a future will the kids have here?" she said looking around, dejectedly.
Unfortunately, Celebrate didn't ask her where these new feelings and concerns for her children came from, which I understood to be quite remarkable. In the past she has been almost completely disinterested in what her kids are doing, likely due to her drug addiction. But where did this change come from? How long has she had these feelings? What kind of future does she envision for Film and Sophia? These are the kinds of questions we should have asked to help us understand what has changed inside Dune's own heart and mind. But, unfortunately, Celebrate spend about 20 minutes talking about land titles, deeds and how complicated it would be for her to get permission to build on someone else's land. Dune got tired of this.
Thankfully at the end Celebrate told her that if it is her desire to move and build a new house for the kids to live in she should pray to God and ask for this. He is able to do anything. Her took her hand and we prayed right there for her, the kids and a new place to live. We left shortly thereafter.
Upon further reflection, I think Dune's change of behavior might have more than one explanation. Firstly, it is possible that God is stirring something in her heart but unfortunately we didn't ask her any further questions so what is happening in her heart is unknown for the time being. Secondly, is also possible that what she displayed was a very normal, motherly concern for her kids and doesn't necessarily mean there is any spiritual hunger yet. But what does require some explanation and further investigation is why she appeared so normal? Is she trying to get clean from Meth? Or is it possible she had just recently taken a hit and as a result feels more normal and energetic? If that is the explanation it would be no cause to be encouraged. I know nothing about this drug. If anyone has any ideas please let us know.
Meeting with Pastor Celebrate
After leaving the house Celebrate and I drove back to the church and sat down to discuss the questions I sent him last week. I was quite disappointed in Celebrate's feedback. He had almost no ideas and nothing to say. I reframed my questions a couple times and circled back to little things he said and asked him to elaborate and slowly I understood that he really didn't have any thoughts for me.
Eventually, we agreed that I would start getting involved with the family by picking up the kids and taking them to church on every other Sunday. This was clearly a felt need for Pastor Celebrate who is sixty years old and would appreciate the help shuttling the kids. I thanked him for his time and left him to rest.
I drove home feeling a bit discouraged and alone. How could he really have no thoughts or ideas? How can it be that all we can do is pray and wait for a miracle? Is it not clear that something needs to insert itself into the situation to meet needs, show grace and love, and teach them the truth about God and themselves? But how can we do that with this specific family?
Clearly, further prayer and thought is needed. In the meantime, I will see what transpires picking up the kids and taking them to church.
