Inspire, Winter 2003

Inspire 21 father is, and if they do, chances are most of their brothers and sisters don’t share the same father. There isn’t a sense of stability, and family is a very relative idea — mom may come and go, kids may not know where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep that night. Most kids have seen or been a part of horrific crimes. A reality like this means one thing: these kids are in survival mode. They simply want to make it from one day to the next. Our challenge then is to discover meaningful ways to connect with and communicate to these kids in ways that will make sense and make a difference. For example, Grady and I became familiar with a family of ten children, most with different fathers, all with the same mother. Mom was heavily involved in drugs and was in and out of jail routinely. These ten kids had seen it all and endured it all. They lived in a one-bedroom apartment with no furniture, were accustomed to guns and death and rape, knew that their next meal was up to them to find, and had no concept of rules or morals or accountability or authority. Yet many kids from this family came to Awana with smiles and anticipation week after week. Sure, they were discipline problems and were in trouble more often than not, but at the end of the day, their weekly escape to Awana was a true highlight. How can we walk away from that? What more motivation would anyone need to serve in such a ministry? Statistics show that more money is spent per child in Cabrini Green than in any other government-sponsored project in the States. Talk about a mission field of needs! The people we’ve met have certainly been a significant part of our experience in the city. We’ve crossed paths with the rich and the famous and the intellectual. We’ve crossed paths with the poor and the needy and the lonely. And somehow, God chose to provide us with a wonderful circle of friends from all of those areas! Soon after we moved to Chicago, we became members of The Moody Church. Being a part of and ministering with this historical downtown church has been a privilege. There’s no question that Moody Church has played a key role in making our dream of connecting with people and serving our community a reality. So the cliché we’ve all heard at one time or another, “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you,” is really true. The ministries, friendships, and opportunities that Moody Church has given us have truly been a reflection of God’s grace. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that living in the city is fun! How many places offer you world-class eating, shopping, and entertainment a few steps from your front door? That has been a part of Grady’s desire for us to see and do and be a part of as much as we can for the time we are here. And what an amazing amount of fun and adventure we’ve had! We’ll use that as an open-door invitation to you: If you’re ever in Chicago and are looking for a place to stay or would simply like to meet up for dinner, it would be our privilege! Please take us up on that! Chicago has afforded Grady and me so many unique opportunities, and we can both honestly and thankfully say we have no regrets. We don’t know the plans God has for us next year, next month, or even tomorrow. But we do know that for this moment, we are to be in Chicago and make the most of every opportunity that comes our way. Where have all the dreamers gone? Well, we are two dreamers in Chicago who can’t imagine life without living in the city. And at the end of the day, we’re just a couple of really normal people doing really normal things. But we are motivated by a really radical God who has plans that supercede anything we can think or dream about. To contact Grady and Sarah, call them at 312-587-1579 or e-mail them at sarah.peeler@moody.edu .