Serving at Sanctuary

In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray for “His will be done on earth and to give us our daily bread”. I have seen this occur in Sanctuary. This is my opportunity to bear witness to things, I have heard and seen.

The call came to me when I was in Albania, in the summer of 2016. I saw a boy begging. He had no hope for a future. I could of given him money, but where will that money go? What will it be spent on? I wanted to give more. Afterwards, I prayed for the boy. I prayed for his future and his daily bread.

Coming home, I saw the advertisement for Sanctuary. I said already I wanted to do more. The Bible tells us that by helping those in need, we help Jesus. Maybe, in some way, by helping the poor in Gravesend, I could help the little boy in Albania.

During my time at Sanctuary, I have seen prayers answered, heard stories of miracles.

One of my favourite miracles, a man kicked out by his partner was made homeless. He lost everything: his job, his home and his college course. I was alerted to him being there by another guest. He was desperate for clothes but embarrassed to ask. Sanctuary clothed him, fed him and gave him bed… but that’s not all! I chatted with him, heard his stories. One day, he walked in smiling and hugged me. He told me that he had news. He had been offered a place. He had been offered his old job back. He had also got his college course back. Plus, he had somewhere stay before he moved into his new place. Sanctuary was involved in getting him a place; they gave his details to the council.

This is not the only miracle to have occurred! It’s a story; I feel needs to be told. The man was so friendly, quiet and humble. His head was always in a book. Yet, he became homeless. There is no rhyme, nor reason, why people become homeless. This made me realise how close we all are to homelessness.

A guest asked me ‘do you like working here?’ I replied, ‘ I don’t work here.’ Another guest said to him, ‘she’s a volunteer.’ I don’t believe that I’m a volunteer anymore. I am there because I want to be. ‘Volunteering should be fun’, a phrase repeated many times over the last few months.  This is why I am not a volunteer. Sanctuary is a family. There can be tears, anger and depression. We see the guests at their highest points and their lowest.  Seeing this is not fun. I have always been told about brothers and sisters in Christ, but I’ve never understood this – until now. The guests are my brothers and sisters in Christ. I cannot wait to see them all again: to see their smiles, hear them talk and share dinner with them.

Thy will be done in earth,

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

We are asking for God’s will on earth. At Sanctuary: no one is hungry; no one is cold; everyone is fed; everyone is clothed; everybody has a bed; everybody has a roof over their heads. (even if this is just whilst Sanctuary is open.)

Thank you for the opportunity: to ‘find the lost and feed the hungry’, to bear witness to the love the God and the answering of prayers, and to pray for those in need.

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In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Rachel Morfett

Sanctuary is a ‘first point of contact’ to those who are homeless irrespective of situation or background, with a focus on providing assistance not catered by other agencies..

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