Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT
Speak
up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice
for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.
Stories
catch our attention. It is stories that
help us gain perspective on life, problems and our purpose. Through the impact and work of our back2school outreach there are stories
that hit my heart, and that I want to share with you.
A
man at one of our partner churches told me about a kid whose shoes were way to
small. When the child took off their
shoes, the person measuring their feet had to physically straighten out their
toes to find out what size they were.
This child’s shoes were way to small.
Through the process of getting new shoes and having their feet washes
the child talked about their dreams, what they want to be when they grow
up. It was eye opening to say the least.
What
gets me the most is how so many of the children we serve don’t hear that they
can be anything that they want to be.
Look up. Aim high. Dream big.
God has a great plan. Those are
things that all children need to hear, and it really is amazing what some one
who cares can do for others.
One
of our volunteer team members sat in front of a young man a few years ago as
the child shared that life in their house was tough. The volunteer listened, showed they cared,
spoke words of encouragement and prayed with this child. What is amazing is what has changed in the
last few years. This child’s family
moved to a new town, and he has begun to believe what God says about Him. The smile on his face speaks volumes.
I
listened yesterday to one of our ladies talk about a little girl who was
getting her feet washed. This precious
girl shared that although she is a Christian that she is scared because her
daddy and family don’t like God. What
happened in the moments to follow is why we do what we do. This lady volunteer asked to talk with this
girl and her dad, and after listening to the man’s story our volunteer asked
the man if he would like to accept Jesus.
He did. I love how God brings
people to see Him in creative ways.
As
we were cleaning up I saw a small bag sitting over next to a wall. In the bag was an old pair of shoes with
several holes in them. Our back2school outreach shares shoes and
washes student’s feet, but the reason we do this is much more than shoes. We earn the right to talk with these students
and their families about their God given potential. What a blessing and an honor it is to serve
people.
Not
all the people we serve are poor. Not
all the students need shoes or a backpack, but by sharing what we have we make
a difference in many of the people we encounter. In fact we are being able to impact lives of
people we haven’t even met.
Serving
people helps us gain perspective.
Gaining perspective keeps us going, keeps us serving, keeps us praying
and keeps us seeking God to change lives.
A
friend texted me this quote: if your
church closed today, would your community be affected? I’m not sure where the quote came from,
but I do know without perspective we will not make the difference God calls us
to make. Our communities must see the
love of God lived out loud.
God uses the small things to magnify his name – Manny Ohonme
James 2:14 NLT
What
good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
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