What really happens around the table at Homes of Hope?

By Pat McKoy, Housing Support Worker, Homes of Hope.

On a beautiful night at our latest property, our Chef was Chris who made an incredible meal; inspired by the Indian cuisine. He filled us with Chicken curry, Rice, Naan bread and chips. I can tell you we were all in a food comma afterwards. During this time, Iiann lead the discussion that was centred around Ephesians 4:22 - 24 which says

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body."

This scripture did touch everyone's hearts in a different way as we were all going through the transition of leading a new lifestyle; where God's love and Grace were being experienced. The 3 main points learnt from this scripture were:
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1.To put away your old self/ former way of life
2.Be made new in the attitudes of your mind
3.Put on the new self, created to be like God
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The residents each got a chance to share their old self and gave an overview on how that felt and what lead to the realisation that it was no longer their desire to lead that life again. They also shared the new lifestyle they had acquired since joining Homes of Hope and how different it was compared to their old one. Their attitudes had changed, their environment, their buddies, allowing a different mindset, giving allowance for new change.

These changes do not come effortlessly, they come with a lot of challenges; mental health issues, physical health issues, a lot of temptations and constant learning and unlearning, among others. This sharing of a meal allows us to acknowledge where we are in our journeys of transformation and accept and also seek further support if needed. Some days have proven to be harder than others, but the team at Homes of Hope have been able to step in and make those days more bearable by giving us the true righteous values that we can use during these times and also ways we can support each other in our different journeys. The toughest part has been the acceptance of our worthiness to lead a new life. We believe that Homes of Hope has been used to assure us, by God, of our purpose and how loved and important we are in this life. They have also been able to create a space to interact, be vulnerable and socialise in a manner that feels safe and secure to our individual growth. We definitely look forward to sharing a meal, our challenges and a family-friendly interaction every other week. These are definitely memories to be treasured by all.

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