Signs of Hope: Fences and Construction Vehicles

A few days ago I walked out my front door and was surprised by what I saw... a fence was being installed around the empty lots across the street from my house. My first thought was, "Yes! A sign of hope!" The initial signs of construction were under way. I excitedly informed Julie about the new progress in our neighborhood. The lots across the street from us had become overwhelmed by weeds and trash. People have dumped all kinds of things there... bottles, bags, old mattresses, bicycles, appliances, and other items representing the illegal underground economy that exists in the streets around my house. Yesterday, I was awoken early by the sounds of large construction machines being delivered to the vacant area. They immediately started clearing the lots by pushing all of the dirt, weeds, and trash into a huge pile to be hauled away. Just like that, months of frustration about the appearance and activity that goes on in the lots across from us was squashed by the transformation provided in just two days by a fence and a huge pile of dirt.

Transformation is a process. It is not a destination that we ever arrive at. That is true with physical places, and that is true with people. God wants to work through each of us to support the process of transformation in both people and places. The forces of transformation are at work in Homewood. Yes, my home is surrounded by boarded up homes, drug houses, dealers, homeless people who push shopping carts around, addicts, prostitutes, public schools that struggle to meet the needs of their students, a general lack of legitimate businesses, and many more signs of need. But my neighborhood also has many assets. New houses are going up, good neighbors are raising their families here, organizations and churches are working toward transformation and reconciliation here, and one thing I know for sure is that young people are being mentored in this community.

When I look out my window in Homewood, I can choose to focus on the signs of need or the signs of hope. This past week was a good week in terms of seeing signs of hope. Many people choose to leave when things get tough, but one of my hopes is that I will continue to engage and work toward the transformation of Homewood. I'm not giving up. There are too many good things going on here. There will be setbacks and challenges, but we will persevere. We will continue to work with as many young people as we can. We will continue to recruit mentors from churches. We will build relationships with kids in Homewood. We will see people and places involved in the process of transformation over time. And we will continue to be encouraged. God is moving in my neighborhood. It's an exciting thing to be a part of.