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| Tuesday, Melissa, Vicky = Rockstars. |
I love breathing Hope into a situation that seems otherwise Hopeless.
I love serving alongside of friends and strangers alike - all with one purpose in mind.
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| Food for 5,000 |
I love being the physical hands and feet of Jesus - in whatever capacity I am able - and in whatever way He sees fit for me to serve. I think it's kind of my sweet spot. On a Sunday morning at church, I love the whirling and swirling crazy of three services back to back to back. I love seeing new faces and hugging old friends. I love offering a cup of hot coffee that's free or holding the door open for a sweet little family who has arrived looking frazzled and worn.
Clothes and shoes. All for free.
And I love the looks on their faces once they get settled and situated.
Once I can see that they know they are HOME.
Here, they are safe. Here, they are wanted. Here, they are loved.
We are messy.
We aren't perfect.
But we have Jesus.
And we will show Him to you...
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| hotdogs, soda, juice, fruit, chips - all free. |
That's my church, to me.
That's my Home.
That's the Hope I love to bring...
And I love how I feel on a Sunday afternoon - like I've just run a marathon tired - but filled to the tippy top brim with Him. Because when we "do it as unto the least of these, we do it unto Him."
When we offer a warm smile, or when we help someone to their seats...
When we hold the doors open in the rain, or when we make sure the toilet paper dispenser never runs out...
When we sing our song set - even if we're all a hot mess of mistakes...
Or when we see someone who feels Hopeless, and we stop and show them Love...
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| Lara, Morgan, Sarah = Rockstars. Haircuts and manicures. All free. |
When we offer what we have -- small though it may be -- and when we pray: "Lord, take it all - every bit of it - and breathe Your life and grace into it. I pour it at Your feet, and You multiply it, grow it, do with it what you will - because it's all about You in the first place...."
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| Mary Kay girlies - facials and goodie bags. All free. |
When you have a whole group of people who love Jesus and who do that all together...
Well, that kind of makes for the best day ever.
Yesterday, on the Bangor Waterfront, our church along with several others teamed up with the Convoy of Hope, and we set up camp with the sole intent and purpose of being Jesus to our City. Every single thing was free. Anyone could come and receive a bag of groceries, free clothing, free food, haircuts, facials, manicures, dental or doctor consultations, and counseling - all for free. And they could listen to fun back to back concerts by different local artists, eat some free food, and play as a family in our Kids Zone.
This was my Home all day:
It was all fun and good until the Generator would blow, and then we'd have to fish the kids out of the quickly deflating obstacle course! This just added to the adventure of the day...
Life was never meant to be lived alone.
We were never intended to weather storms by ourselves.
And even though people are messy and relationships are hard...
Even though we don't all always see eye to eye, and we all make mistakes...
Life is better together.
It's always better together.
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| Rockstars. And a nursing tent for sweet Mamas....even though there's a Daddy in there right now.. |
No church is perfect. This I know full well to be true.
And we're all works in progress.
We all do dumb things and we all make mistakes.
But, when you have a whole bunch of messy people trying to do this Journey with Jesus the best that they know how...
That's when He steps in and does business.
That's when the water gets turned into wine.
And that's when a whole lot of ashes get made into something of beauty.
God's specialty is Redemption...
And I want in.
Hope Lives Here.
Come and see for yourselves....
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