I have been on this journey of faith for quite some time now. I have explored various avenues of direction, seeking God's Good and Perfect will for my life. The funny thing is, this is wasn't I thought it would look like.
I have had a heart for the lost and the calling of an Evangelist almost as long as I've been saved (that's 21 years in March). I love missions. I give to several different mission and special projects. I have 2 children I sponsor in Brazil, one with Compassion International and the other with World Vision. I'm always looking for an opportunity to serve - somewhere.
I always pictured my calling something to do with Preaching and Missions. And I pictured these two marrying together in some fashion through a local church. What I didn't figure, or maybe wasn't quite realizing, is that my missionary evangelistic calling is not to some faraway remote country on the other side of the world, it's on the other side of my town.
It's been in these past few months that my eyes have opened to the immense need that is all around me. I never realized that there were so many homeless people living in my town. Yes, there is the old man at the train station that is obviously homeless, but there are those we see everyday in our town, at the library, in our places of retail, that are homeless or maybe have "occasional" housing. They are young adults. Older Adults. People who have made wrong choices. People who have had hard luck. However you want to define them, they are people that God is opening my eyes to see.
And what does our community have to offer them? I wish I knew. There's a food panty for hot soup in the afternoon. There's a shelter for the men only on nights the city declares a code blue. There's various organizations that will offer some "part-time" assistance. But in the end, they are still homeless. Still hungry. Still in need of a Savior.
At the beginning of this year, our church called it's annual 21-days of fasting and prayer. As a church, we were praying for the needs of our church and community. As individuals, we prayed for what God has placed on our hearts. 5 days into this fast, I had been praying for spiritual growth and God's direction in ministry, especially as it regarded reaching out to my community. This particular day, I get a phone call asking me if I wanted to join a group of homeless people for dinner. I said, "I can't. I'm fasting." And hung up. I paused for a moment as God spoke to me through these verses in Isaiah 58:
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
I turned my car and went straight to the dinner. I had a big ol' plate of spaghetti and an evening of fellowship and friendship building. For the past few weeks, I have spent time getting to know, worshipping with and talking to some of these new friends.
I almost missed it. I was praying for Direction from God, He gave me the opportunity and I almost missed it. I'm so glad that God is patient with me. I'm so glad He was so gentle with me. I could have missed it!
My response now - I'm praying about moving to town. I currently live about 15-20 min out of town. I'm praying about employment opportunities closer to town. I currently work 45-60 min out of town (and away from my home). That's a lot of drive time that could be used in other ways.
So, I'm still on this Faith Journey. I haven't arrived yet, but I am actually going SOMEWHERE!
