You know you don’t have to save the world by trying to reach everyone in the world.

You don’t have to dream and plan and strategize how you can maximize your potential on some grandiose scale.

You don’t have to wonder what type of platform will be the best one so your voice can be heard.

You don’t have to worry and fret over feeling stuck and trapped and that you are not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.

You don’t have to chase down every opportunity wondering if “this is the one that gets me somewhere.”

You don’t have to ask questions like “do I have what it takes?” or “am I even making a difference?” or “what am I supposed to do in this world?”

We are too busy looking for great things that are really small things.
We chase the bright lights, when the ones fading need attention.
We look for the book deal, the record signing, who’s who and do they know me and follow me on Twitter.
We spin in circles putting out fires, and at the same time creating new ones.

S T O P.

Jesus says the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. Simplicity and singleness is where it’s at.

When Jesus gave the paragraph of the Sheep and the Goats…they were hanging out together, but at one point they were separated. They appeared to be doing the right thing on the outside, but the goats were doing it because they were told to, and it landed their face on the cover of a magazine, or got them the next speaking gig.

The sheep were doing it anyway, unaware the hugeness of it, but it was woven into their lives so simply.

You feel it. The huge God-awesome-sized potential in the thick of your gut….churning…you wondering WHEN you’ll have the chance. You’ve already had it. Are you the sheep or the goat? Already knowing what the right thing is to do, or waiting for someone to tell you, or someone to notice?

If you have to ask where, then you’re not a sheep. Jesus said the least of these.

Your ‘big break’ is breaking your heart. Or rather let God break it.

-When was the last time you visited a child dying of cancer in the hospital?
-When was the last time you looked the homeless man in the eye instead of looking away because it was so awkward?
-When was the last time you gave someone $100 when you really didn’t have it, but they couldn’t afford groceries?
-When was the last time you stepped up to protect or defend the defenseless (abused or neglected children, the lonely, suicidal)
-When was the last time you handed out hope like the world hands out false promises?
-When was the last time you actually prayed on your face, tears flowing, heart wrenched for someone that you’ve said “I’ll pray for you.”
-When was the last time you grabbed your son and daughter and said “I love you, and I’m so proud of you?”

2009 flew by, 2010 is upon us.

STOP, breathe…..let’s become teachable this next year.

Thanks Russ Cripps for inspiring me to share our story of hope from just a week ago….

What brought us to the homeless shelter originally stemmed from our small group series where we’ve been discussing the story of Job and suffering. Through the last 7 weeks we’ve talked about suffering and as we ended we decided to step outside our own lives and stories and get into the lives and stories of others who are suffering at a difficult time of the year in the hopes we could have our minds put into perspective.

We arrived at the FFCAU Emergency One Shelter just as the residents were eating their dinner. I was the first to arrive and as I lugged in my guitar and my nervousness in interacting with these people, I saw they kind of sized me up to see what I was there to do. Perhaps some of them thought, ‘great another church group here….what are they going to do to help me?’ As they finished their meal that another church in the area had prepared for them, the rest of our group arrived ready to hopefully be a blessing to these people. We didn’t come with much of a game plan other than to play some games, talk with them, and end the evening with some worship choruses with an acoustic guitar.

It was a tough room at first. I got the feeling they probably were thinking what were we there to do? They shyed away from us, and many of them very strongly chose to not participate in the games. One lady said she’d been walking all day and she was exhausted. I felt kind of shallow and kind of just wanted to move on to something more comfortable. We kind of ditched the other plans we had and just put the chairs in a circle, got the guitar out, and passed out some of the words of the songs we were singing.

Those on the couches sat back and read the words as we sang. We sang songs that spoke about God being a defender of the weak, and comforting those in need. We sang about God being our shelter, our fortress….and we ended singing about how MUCH God loves us and that his grace being like an ocean…deeper than us. One by one I saw every person in that room moved to tears as God’s presence ushered in a glimmer of hope into their lives. One lady in tears spoke about how she has been nobody her entire life, and just now she can say she’s been clean for 2 months, and she’s feeling that there is hope. One man said he could feel the love of God in the room, and another said every word was like a prayer he would pray to God. Another lady who had refused to participate begged us to keep the words with her so she could read them again and again, and one by one they all asked if they could please keep the words to the songs. You would think you had handed them an item of gold as they were so happy when we said, “Of course you can keep them!” The one lady then told us all she loved us and was so thankful we came and sang these songs to them.

Just singing to them about the hope in Christ cracked through the dry deserts of their souls and touched a place that nothing else could. We walked away from there feeling like we didn’t have to bring food, gifts, money, clothes….it wasn’t what they wanted. I think if we had showed up with those things, they probably would have though we were like every other charity, just handing them what we think they needed and then walking back to our own lives. In reality, we walked in there with nothing but hope afraid it wasn’t enough, but it was the very thing that they wanted the most. Hope is something that can keep them warm on a cold night, hope is something that can comfort them when they are all alone, hope is something very tangible - because without it they are they are one minute away from mental breakdown, one needle prick away from an overdose, they are one gunshot away from suicide.

Thanks for letting me share our story. I’m afraid it’s not over though. I feel drawn to go back to that place…and now I feel like I don’t have to have an agenda, schedule, or load of giveaways, I can just take the one thing that God has already given me, the thing I am meant to give to others to point them back to Him - HOPE.

Our church just launched a new campaign for our outreach ministry…be the church. We got the idea from Danny Rivers’ new website - bethechurch.cc where instead of going to church, it’s time to be the church - a call to social action.

Project #1 - 50 Bag Lunches to the Homeless in Baltimore City and Inner Harbor
On an early Saturday morning, a small group of us met at our church office to make up 50 bag lunches, and then drive down to Baltimore to pass them out to the homeless. We started out downtown Baltimore driving up and down the street seeking out those in need, and just pulling over and serving them. Then, we went down to the Inner Harbor and passed out the rest of the lunches to those sleeping on sidewalk benches. The look on these people’s faces as we were the hands and feet of Jesus were priceless. And we didn’t even tell them where we were from…who we were, nothing, just “God Bless….” That’s what it’s all about.

Project #2 - Homeless Couple in Elkton, MD
Driving down 279 in Elkton, at the Petro Truck Stop and McDonalds stands a homeless woman with a sign that says “Homeless, Hungry, anything is appreciated.” I stopped the other day and said, “Can I get you anything?” She said anything would be appreciated….and my husband and I are in need of winter coats badly.” I went back to our “Be the Church” team and stated the need. We all pulled together and came up with clothes and toiletry items for the couple, and we had it delivered this past week. They have a friend, an older lady who is in need of items as well….so Friday, another run is being made. Say a prayer for Genevieve, her husband Michael, and Linda this week.