Perspective...

My lack of blogging has no connection to lack of thought... In fact, I think that in the past 5 months my mind, heart, and prayers have been so active, I haven't wanted to commit anything to print, knowing God was likely to shake things up at any time.

One of my prayers in the past 3 months has been where I should attend church. I have been attending, and serving at Manchester Christian Church for the past 5 years. I simply love the network of people I have met there over the years. At the end of this summer, however, I felt a stirring for a change. Not knowing if it was me stirring things up, or God, I sought counsel from leaders at MCC, and ultimately decided to switch churches to a church in my hometown of Concord to be able to get involved in local outreach.

God heard my prayer, and has honored my step into the unknown. Since I have made that decision I have felt a floodgate of opportunities open up to me. My heart has been in this place for a long time, but after my experience in Rwanda, I have wanted to put to action what I learned there in my local community.

This morning I got such an opportunity. All this week I have been battling a head cold that has rendered me useless outside of the school day. I knew, however, that I had said I would help out at the Reach van this morning for the first time (ministry to the homeless). I was up during the night congested and feeling awful, but I had given my word, so I wanted to follow through. Boy, did I get a dose of perspective.

Upon my arrival at 8:30, I was face to face with people less well that me, who hadn't slept on a firm mattress, with a down comforter, plenty of tissues, in a heat regulated home. Some had slept in tents with one eye open, praying for the sun to rise. They had the cough that I was battling, yet they had to persevere without medicine, or comfort.

I was hit with the realization through the prayers we were saying for these people, the encouraging conversations we were having, the toiletries we were giving, that WAY too often I get caught up in MY world.

Spending the morning with Jamie, Celene, Michael, John... let me know that yes, God has been working in my heart, and building my empathy, and THANK GOD, he has given me the chance now to begin being His hands, and His feet.

My Saturday mornings will no longer be the same, I will look at my city through different eyes, my prayers will be peppered with these new faces. I just pray God would show me if He has me where He wants me for a time, or if He is stirring me, and prepping me for more change. Right now, today, I am CERTAIN that I am where God would have me be, and I am so thankful for that.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes" (Matthew 6:34 MSG).