photo day

Last week NSV held our 2nd annual family photo outreach at one of the low income housing areas we serve. We do this outreach to promote family unity, to bless people with free pictures they typically could never afford, and to create a ‘hang out’ environment where we can get to know the people we serve better.

Over 130 people representing 50 families came to get their pictures taken. The following are the words of one of the guys from our team helping that day.

Numbers aside, the highlight for us was during an interaction with one particular family. There is a great-grandmother who lives at Westover Village Apartments in Loveland that is confined to a wheelchair and doesn’t get out much. But for this special day, she was able to convince her adult children to come out to Loveland and take her to MacArthur. They of course were asked to take their picture with her. So we had four generations of this family there to take their picture together. I got the sense that this was a first for the family.

Finally, their time came to get their picture taken. They had been waiting awhile and the great-grandmother’s adult children didn’t seem too thrilled by that. But anyway, their pictures were taken and their day at the photo outreach was over. Yet, before leaving, the daughter of the great-grandmother approached us and asked who she makes the check out to…again, not looking very happy for one reason or another.

And as her hand pulled out the check book, we could feel the smiles spreading across our faces. For servants for Jesus, these are the types of moments we just love.

So as the daughter opened her checkbook, we politely said: “It’s free.”

“Free?” she came back—her face finally finding expression.

“We just wanted to show you God’s love in a practical way.”

The daughter surprisingly didn’t say a word back. Instead, she just immediately leaned forward and hugged the first person she could get her arms around.

I was that recipient.

People tease me all the time and say that I don’t like being touched or hugged by strangers. But for those quick 2 seconds, I can assure you that those assumptions weren’t true.

To see someone so moved by God’s generosity is too rare a gift to dwell on anything else.

You could argue that the "Gospel" wasn't proclaimed and in part you would be correct. A clear communication of the work of Christ on the cross and our need for that did not happen. But in a sense you would also be wrong. People experienced the love and compassion of God and doors were opened for further interaction for the full presentation of the Gospel. The marginalized of society got a glimpse into one aspect of the Kingdom of God. That is never a bad thing as long as we remember that it is only part of the whole thing.