Scripture reading
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
–Deuteronomy 31:6
Thought of the Day
I just returned from a college mission trip to Galveston. Eighteen of us spent three days working at the Discovery Club, an after school program for homeless kids. Claudia and her staff do a great job of helping and supporting and loving kids whose lives are tough. There are kids who live in shelters; some who live in cars and even those who don’t know where they will stay from night to night. These kids also face all kinds of other problems. Both physical and sexual abuse is prevalent, along with obvious neglect. Discovery Club is a place where they can come and receive positive reinforcement and encouragement. It is a safe place where they can come and receive nourishment; food and so much more. We were able to go in and brighten up the facility a bit. It was good.
Each night we gathered and talked about those kids. I asked our group to finish the sentence, “Life is…”. At first their answers were what I expected from these, some of our best and brightest leaders in our group. Life is beautiful. Life is precious. Life is a blessing. I then tried to get them to imagine what it might be like to be one of the homeless kids in the Discovery Club. Their answers changed a bit. Life is hard. Life is unfair. Life is tough. By the time we were through sharing we realized that both responses were right. Life is all of the above mentioned and so much more. We then talked about what we could say to these kids to help them realize that we do have a God in Christ Jesus, who does care. A God who does listen. A God who will not forget them. I wish you could have heard their words. Scriptures were quoted, experiences were shared, and prayers were offered. It was awesome.
You know what? We also figured out that perhaps the best way to share the Good News is by working on their facility and making it a little better. We figured out that the best way to share Christ is just to be there and let them know that we are all connected through Him. Maybe even to just be there and cry with them sometimes. So who is it that you can reach out to and share God’s love? Figure it out and do it today.
Prayer
Father, Help me to let others see your love through me. Amen.