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| Dear Inner Circle, Yesterday, I was talking to someone near the front and I saw a car stop and park illegally over the road. Two men, who looked like they spent their lives in a gym, got out of the car. They were both wearing singlets to show off their muscles for the world to admire. It was clear that they'd not been to Wayside before and there was something odd about their manner as they made their way to the front door. Finally, they got to our front desk and asked if we could inform them where they could buy some cocaine! Unfortunately for them, they were talking to Mon, who is a short woman but not one to ever respond kindly to disrespect. It was funny to watch these two bags of hormones being escorted back to their car like two naughty boys. As they drove off, Mon was still on the footpath with her arm held high and her finger pointing clearly in a gesture that showed that if they were still in sight, they had not gone far enough away. A woman sat with me yesterday and poured her heart out with years of difficult family history. There was so much to be broken hearted about but I think the thing that hurts her the most is that her daughter doesn't like her. The daughter refers to her mother usually as, "the moron". This intelligent and articulate lady told me of everything she had done to improve this relationship without the least sign of success. This was an attractive lady with a stunningly beautiful face but she told me that it causes her daughter immense pain even to look at her. We sat together without wisdom and with no answers. When she was leaving I told her that, "The down side of coming to see me is that I can't fix anything but the up side is that I'm cheap." It was her first little laugh for the day and possibly her first for a long time. You won't believe this, but Christmas is nearly upon us! Now before you get discouraged because of the commercialisation of Christmas or before you get old and cranky that December seems to come every 3 months, I want to remind you that Wayside shuts the street on Christmas Day and we provide a sit down lunch for the down and outs and the up and outs and for anyone else who'd like to spend that day in a happy community. This event for us is a bit of a marathon to organise but each year the outpouring of goodwill from every part of our community makes it possible. And each year we are left feeling exhausted and fulfilled and encouraged because we've actually seen, "Peace on earth and goodwill toward all humankind." So, here we go again. Please check out our Christmas Wishlist. Scroll to the bottom of the page and if there is something that you might be able to help with this year, please email stephanie.guerin@thewaysidechapel.com. I'm a bit of a funny old sausage myself. I often look into a face that is asking me for a free coffee or a dollar and I think to myself, "If only you knew what was on offer here." There is love on offer here and all you want is lollies. There's presence here and all you want is presents. I was cuddling my 6 year old grand daughter the other day and I said, "Do you think your Papa loves you just a little bit?” "No", she said, "I think you love me until all the numbers run out." To be loved and not know it, is still to be loved but to be loved and to know it, is permission to live. thanks for being part of our inner circle, Graham Rev Graham Long Pastor The Wayside Chapel Kings Cross |
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| Protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information is important to us, as it is fundamental to the way we operate. All information is kept in the strictest confidence and is stored in a password secure database. Levels of access to information are determined by an authorised employee's specific need to do their job. Personal information collected by The Wayside Chapel is never sold or passed on in any way, shape or form to any other organisation or non-authorised person for any purpose. If you would like to seek access to, or revise your personal information or feel that the information we currently have on record is incorrect or incomplete, or you believe that the privacy of your personal information has been interfered with, please contact us. Our appointed Privacy Officer is Stephanie Guerin |
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