The Most Amazing Morning of My Life By Far

This morning Julie, Casie, Lauren, Nealy, Allie & Amanda (friends of Lauren and Nealy), and myself got up super early- like 4:30 am early to head down to watch the sun rise. I must say walking through the French Quarter at 5 am was pretty interesting. I wouldn’t use the word scared for what I felt, but it was extremely weird and almost like in an eerie way. I don’t think I have ever walked through a city at 5 am in the morning. There were still a few parties going on but for the most part there were just drunken people sleeping in cars, homeless trying to catch of few minutes of rest on the sidewalk, and a few people were up walking around. We stopped at Café du Monde and ordered beignets and café au laits. We then walked down to the steps that lead into the Mississippi River to wait for the sun to rise.

I have never watched anywhere go from dark to light. It was by far one of the most amazing things I have watched. I got to watch God wake up New Orleans and fulfill his promise of a new day and I chose to let today be a new day and to let go of the past. It was so peaceful to be sitting on the steps just reading my bible, praying, listening to worship music, and just watching God at work. It just felt like he was right there with me, wrapping his arm around me. I felt so loved and protected by my Heavenly Father. While I got to watch the beauty of nature, God didn’t let reality slip to far away.

While I was sitting their reading my bible, a man I believe to be homeless walked down the steps. I watched him as he removed his shoes and socks and rolled up his pant legs. I watched him walk down the last few steps and walk back and forth across the lowest step that was emerged in water. He was washing his feet and legs off. I’m not sure what it is called when a Catholic prays and they do the forehead, mouth, chest thing with their hands, but I was just so drawn to see what the man would do next. He went back to where his few things were and pulled a little toothbrush and a little thing of toothpaste out and he brushed his teeth with an alcoholic drink that he had with him. This was just a really eye opening experience for me. I never really thought about the entire life of a homeless person. My heart broke for him and I just sat there and prayed as he was leaving that one day he would have hope and that if he didn’t already know Jesus Christ that one day he would come to know our Savior.

I also witnessed another person, that may or may not have been homeless, but he was definitely over the limit on alcohol consumption. My heart broke for him to. He was so unhappy; he was yelling and pretty much cursing the world. Then he grabbed up some trash and threw it into the River. All I could do was pray for him as well. I just hope that one day he will know Christ as well and will find joy in life.

So while God allowed this wonderful morning to become an eye-opening experience as well, I could never be more grateful for this opportunity. I definitely believe that it will become a Sunday morning ritual for the few Sundays we have left with all of us together.

<3 Kendall