Ms. Angela

If you want to know how to run a drive through restaurant with the best customer service, you ask Chick-fil-a. If you want directions read to you while you are driving, you only need to type in your desired destination into Google Maps and if you want to know how to serve the least and the lost in a way that glorifies God, you ask Ms. Angela at Mercy House. I had the blessing of sitting down with her today and asking her to share her years of experience in working with people in poverty. 

Ms. Angela has been at Mercy House since it opened in 2018. She is the one our neighbors go to for all their needs. She knows most of them by name and she knows their stories. They trust her to always provide an understanding smile and an overflowing heart when they come by. When I asked her about her relationship with those that call Mercy House their home, she shared about how she always keeps pointing them to Jesus not to herself or our organization. “We are feeding the whole person - their body, mind and spirit. We can meet their immediate needs but for real change - they have got to seek God”. She explained that the way we do that is through daily devotions, praying with our neighbors and always giving God the glory for the resources that he provides. “The needs we see here are bigger than any one of us. We could never do what we do without God’s provision and His power.”

I asked her what she thought was one of the biggest challenges that she faces here on Council street. She believes that there are a few things that make beginning recovery extremely hard for those we serve. One is that many times people do not want to admit they are in crisis. Ms. Angela said “They need a safe place to be able to admit that through whatever events took place - they are now living in the reality that they need help. Maybe they need some mental health resources but there is a stigma that comes with having any kind of mental disability. Some need to remove themselves from an unhealthy relationship or habit but moving and starting over takes resources. Their issues can run extremely deep so accepting their situations can be more than they could possibly handle. “You can’t move forward until you accept where you are right now”, she said. “Many people think that if you just keep running, somehow you can escape your circumstances. But the truth is they need to stop running from their current circumstances and decide to take a stand towards making a better life for themselves.” She went on to share that when they decide to hold their ground and begin to dig out of the pit they have found themselves in, the programs we offer can really be successful in lifting them to solid ground.

Then Ms. Angela said something that is still leading me to pray a little differently. “Put yourself in their shoes - how would you want to be treated? If you didn’t have enough food to feed your family - how would you want to be received when seeking out the resources you need?” It is a humbling thought to not have enough and makes me even

more thankful that God has placed Ms. Angela here at Mercy House. She understands that many of our neighbors no longer think that they can do any better than they are right now. “They have decided to settle for less, so much less than God has promised them and that is heartbreaking.” So we will follow her lead in providing West Montgomery with a home base to meet needs and offer hope and when they decide to claim God’s promises for more, we will be there to support them every step of the way. 

God Bless,

Pastor Ken Austin