TULSA - A west Tulsa man is getting his hands dirty to be a blessing to his neighborhood.
For the past couple of weeks, West 41st Street has been buzzing, because Brandon Charlton is building a blessing.
"We're always thinking of ways we can bless people," Charlton, the Interim Youth Pastor for Red Fork Church of God said.
He got the idea to build a blessing box from Facebook.
It's a place for people to either give or collect nonperishable food items.
"This is certainly a way more people can get involved in a ministry," said Red Fork Senior Pastor Dale Neace.
The thought didn't materialize until his mother Dana passed in January.
"A short time after that my senior pastor's wife said that we should go ahead and do it and do it in memorial to my mom," Brandon said.
His mother was a fixture in the community.
"She took people in and fed them, got them cleaned up and straightened out."
She took delicate time and attention with everyone she helped as Brandon has building the box.
"This really continues the ministries I think that she had, and her heart," the pastor said.
Pastor Dale couldn't think of a better way to honor her, or a better person to do it.
"And I'm really excited about how God has been using him and just changing his life," he said.
Dana didn't just shape the lives of her neighbors, but Brandon's life too.
"I broke her heart for a long time and she never stopped loving me."
The loss still isn't always real.
"It hurts, I wasn't ready."
Now he keeps his hopes for a better future close, intricately framing what his will look like.
"Jesus said that I came to give you life and life more abundant that your joy would be full."
But he's confident no matter what happens from here is nothing short of a gift from God, also known as a blessing.
Charlston said he expects the box to be ready in the next two weeks.
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