Restoration and Life with Lazarus House

What do you carry in your backpack?

“Can I tell you about my backpack?” is a seemingly odd, yet surface-level question. But when I heard the story behind this simple question, it lead to some profound answers that could have been missed if someone wasn’t looking.

I recently reached out to Sandy Falk, the Finance and Administrative Director at Lazarus House asking about what’s going on with this ministry partner. She was excited to share with me four stories of lives that have experienced restoration and life because of the hope Lazarus House provides.

Lazarus House is a place in St. Charles, IL that offers shelter, food and support for people in need in the local area. They have helped veterans, mothers, people in financial and legal trouble, people who have experienced domestic violence, abuse, and so much more. It is a safe haven to help their guests turn their lives around.

So…what do you carry in your backpack? Tell me about it.

“Meghan” was sitting in the courtyard at Lazarus House with her case manager while her daughter played. She expressed that she wanted to tell the caseworker, “Wendy”, about her backpack. Megan told Wendy that her pastor taught her to only put things in her backpack that really matter, because if she wasn’t careful, it would fill up with things that she didn’t need. The backpack could become too heavy and she wouldn’t be able to carry it and move forward in life.

When Wendy asked about what Meghan currently had in her (figurative) backpack, she beamed! “I have my children, my church, my new job, my GED classes, and my counseling appointments.” She continued, “Miss Wendy, if I fill it with things like being upset at the person who keyed my car, my relative who didn’t call me back, or the job I didn’t get, then I can’t keep the things in there that matter to me because they don’t all fit and I can’t carry it all.”

Thanks to Lazarus House and the wisdom from her pastor, Meghan is able to manage her priorities and get the help she needs to continue forward with her daughter!

During this holiday season of 2020 when things have been so hard for many people, Meghan reminds us of what we need to carry. When we value our priorities we can let go of things that will not help us move forward in life and our relationship with Christ. Thank you, Lazarus House, for providing restoration and life for your guests.