{Guest Post} Grafitti: Study and Do by Alene Snodgrass

I’d love to introduce you to my sweet bloggy friend Alene.  She is one of my favorite christian bloggers!  Each of her posts tug at my heart strings.  I was honored to be on her launch team for her newest book Graffiti: Scribbles from Different Sides of the Street, and she has now created a study called Grafitti: Study and Do.  If your heart hurts for those in need and you want to dig deeper into what it looks like to serve the hurting, then I strongly suggest you join her in this study!  I’ve been following her for a long time and her words can really transform your heart!

It is an honor to have you here Alene!

This is a guest post by Alene Snodgrass. Alene loves to tell the story, whether it is from behind a camera lens, writing at a computer screen, or speaking into the lives of others. With a heart for this generation, Alene serves in the inner city. Her new book, Graffiti: scribbles from different sides of the street is co-authored with a homeless man. Connect with Alene through twitter @alenesnodgrass, facebook, or her blog Positively Alene.

 

I’m pretty much your normal everyday suburban girl.

My life has been crazy since I met the streets. It’s been a journey of a lot of baby steps.

When I step out — I’m always afraid.

Not necessarily for my life, but because I’m a clueless suburban girl! Seriously, y’all! The point is it doesn’t matter what kind of fear is trying to stop you, if your heart is calling you to go — you need to go.

And so I did. I said “yes, I’ll teach a class to these girls.” In a scene on the suburban side of town I had become very comfortable teaching, but now — this was the inner city!

Was I ready? Would I look like a fool?

My heart beat fast as I stood up in front of a class of 25 girls. Their skeptical eyes stared back. I figured they were wondering what this city girl had to share that could benefit them in any way. And so I took a whole. lot. of. time. trying to break through the barriers that separated us.

We spent an hour together. I was trying to relate to them and they were longing to trust me — but couldn’t.

We laughed, cried, discussed, and shared. Then towards the end of class a women who had sat silent the whole hour blurts out, “You don’t understand, my son is addicted to sherm.”

Excuse me. What? Sherm.

Y’all I had no clue what she was talking about. I nodded and tried to look confident as she explained how angry her son would get. The drug was so wicked that her son scared her. Of course all the other girls knew what the heck she was talking about. And for that I was so thankful as they began reaching out to her.

God was showing up! I was so thankful because I was just standing back numb.

There is nothing like watching hurting people encourage hurting people! <—yes, click that to tweet!

Arriving home that evening, I was full of emotions. Mortified that I was so clueless, but yet so full of thanks to see God work right there before my eyes. As I walked in I called all the kids together and asked them “what is sherm?” (Like my kids are druggies or something, ha ha) I figured it was something hip and they’d know.

No one knew, so we referred to our trusty friend Google. If you don’t know what sherm is, well…look it up. The thoughts of what I read that night will not leave my mind.

The Lessons of this Story

1. If you are called out of your comfort zone — GO! God will show up big right before your very eyes.

2. If you come to my house and check what I’ve been googling — just remember this suburban girl has a lot of street to learn.

Have you ever witnessed the hurting helping the hurting? Oh do tell . . . 

Alene is leading Graffiti Summer: study and do starting June 3rd. This study is based off the book, Graffiti: scribbles from different sides of the street, written by her and her homeless friend. If you are looking to be challenged to get out of your comfort zone and serve others who are different from you then this is the study for you. Check it out here.

Alene Snodgrass

Blog: Positively Alene