Love Is A Verb

What started as family Christmas morning project has turned into a regular ministry for Lisa Rowland, a Godly Girlfriend in Ohio. That cold morning in Akron, she drove around looking for the best place to park and hand out simple breakfasts and steaming hot cups of coffee. She settled on a park across the street from a closed homeless shelter nestled among giant trees. She asked one passerby if he would like some breakfast. After she opened the trunk of her car and handed out that first warm sausage biscuit, they started coming. She fed a hundred or so that first morning and now goes back every other Sunday with breakfast for about 150. She chooses Sundays because there are no meals provided by homeless organizations on Sunday.

Lisa is the most quiet, humble servant you will ever find. She comes from a family that loves, gives, and helps. Her parents took in foster children and adopted two special needs daughters. She will tell you, "This is just what we do - we take care of people". Lisa does not need to know why anyone is homeless, or why someone needs a toothbrush every time she comes, or why a man has no shoes. She simply says, "It's not my business." And she gives - even the shoes off her own feet.

Since that first cold Christmas morning in 2008, coffee urns, warming boxes, coats, hats, blankets, toiletries, a van and trailer have been donated. If Lisa asks for anything - she asks for items she can hand to those in need.  She has named her ministry (of which she will quickly tell you is not her ministry) Love Is A Verb.

The Godly Girlfriends organization contributes regularly to Love Is A Verb. During our October trip to Ohio, some of the girlfriends cooked and prepared all night with Lisa. Then the whole group went along to the park to serve food and hand out coats and socks and hats and gloves. And really, to hand out some love.

Lisa spoke at the October ladies conference about God's abundant blessings and provision in her life. But the back story was that she had been planning the Ohio side of this conference, shuttling us from the airport to the hotel to the conference center, baking for us, shopping for the Sunday breakfast in the park, caring for her elderly mother, and trying not to worry about her husband who was hospitalized to heal from an infection. Lisa was weary beyond exhaustion. Lisa is a hero.

Lisa's picture should be beside the Proverbs 31 woman in the Bible because she truly, "opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." (Proverbs 31:20)

To find a little more about  Love Is A Verb  - click here to visit the Facebook page.

I you would like to donate to Love Is A Verb - mail your check to:

Evermore Community Church
1470 Smith-Kramer
Hartville, Ohio 44632

In the memo area of your check, please write: LIAV/Homeless

Thank you, Lisa, for showing us what love looks like.