Intentionally Broken

This winter has been very harsh here in MN.

EVERY time I have had to get in my car it's so cold I can barely stand waiting for the car to warm up or to be cold long enough to buckle my daughter in her car seat. I have resented living h here.

I usually handle winters better, reminding myself that this is the season where life slows down a little bit and you can drink warm beverages and go sledding and let the kids enjoy the snow.

I'm usually the one trying to get my trim hubby out in it- encouraging him to just put on a few more layers and move around.

Not this winter. THIS winter I have been broken.

Broken hearted over it.

God started whispering in my ear. "Can you imagine being homeless here in MN right now, Amy?" "Can you imagine what it would feel like in -25 to -35 below with windchill even for 5 minutes?" "Would you be tempted to drink a bottle of booze instead of eating food with that $5 just to numb the pain?"

"How can you complain about feeling cold when you have a house, a heater?" What if you didn't have a home?" "What if you were homeless and lucky enough to have a car to live out of but no money for gas to heat it?"

God kept popping these questions into my head. And I was breaking apart.

CONVICTED, BROKEN, HURTING for my brothers and sisters.

I felt hopeless to the problem. "What can I do?" "Lord, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"

I feel angry that this problem even exits in MN. I think it's totally unacceptable and was telling God this.

I was angry hearing that tents and makeshift homes get stashed.

"What can we do God so people don't freeze?"

He Answered: "Collect below zero sleeping bags."

"OK LORD I WILL."

I said yes to God Jan 20th. Since then He has taken over and birthed Bag the Cold, a ministry to provide sleeping bags and other items needed to bring warmth to our homeless brothers and sisters.

After I said "YES LORD" Josh Wilson's new song "I Refuse" came on the radio. I cried the whole way home.

I was intentionally broken this winter. It is a winter I will never forget.

Thank you God for helping me see what hurts you. Thanks Lord for everything.