I was surprised when someone said to me "you're going to Detroit on a mission trip?".
Ugh.
Ugh. Because I thought everyone knew that I love Detroit more than a place for me to visit on the weekends. It is a place that I love, that if I wasn't under water on my mortgage I'd leave suburban life behind and move to Detroit. If God would release me from downriver I'd be out of here faster than two shakes of a lamb's tail. I hate living downriver. Just ask me, but pack a lunch, because I've got lots of reasons and quite frankly I need to change my heart about it, because I know I'm called to stay here, at least for now.
So what do I do in Detroit? Well, mostly, I serve those who serve. Rarely do I actually do any of the work that those on my teams do, I prepare breakfasts, pack or make lunches, make dinners, prepare snacks, buy pizza.
I help plan the trips, I do a lot of organizing, I pray - for the city, for those who are serving, for those who are being served, for those who are watching.
Why do I serve? Even to me, sometimes, it seems crazy that I spend my vacation time on mission trips. I have many people who say that the city of Detroit needs to be leveled. It needs to be blown up. It's corrupt. It's dead.
Well, there are people there.
There are heartbeats.
There are hearts there that have God shaped holes that need to be filled by Jesus.
There are people who need help.
They need food, shelter, showers, toothbrushes, porches painted, there are kids who need playgrounds that are safe.
There are mentally challenged left to live in the streets because our state has determined they were to be let out of the facilities that cared for them.
There are people who have been abandoned, abused, left for dead, hurt, and their hearts buried alive by hurt.
There are people who need love.
A love they have never known.
The kind that I have been given.
The kind if love that I never even knew I needed.
Do I think I really can make a difference?
Me, on my own, nope.
Me, with Jesus, you bet I do!
Mother Teresa said "if you can feed 100, then just feed one".
I know that nothing happens except the enemy wins when we stand around thinking we can't make a difference, that its too late.
As long as there are muffins in the city. As long as there people who need help. Until all have heard the love of Jesus, until none are hungry.
I will go to Detroit to serve. However called.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
He says go to ALL nations. Not just those far away (though Detroit is far away to someone).
So I go!
(& I will need lots of donations so if you can't go physically with me, you can go in other ways)
Is 58:10 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Ugh.
Ugh. Because I thought everyone knew that I love Detroit more than a place for me to visit on the weekends. It is a place that I love, that if I wasn't under water on my mortgage I'd leave suburban life behind and move to Detroit. If God would release me from downriver I'd be out of here faster than two shakes of a lamb's tail. I hate living downriver. Just ask me, but pack a lunch, because I've got lots of reasons and quite frankly I need to change my heart about it, because I know I'm called to stay here, at least for now.
So what do I do in Detroit? Well, mostly, I serve those who serve. Rarely do I actually do any of the work that those on my teams do, I prepare breakfasts, pack or make lunches, make dinners, prepare snacks, buy pizza.
I help plan the trips, I do a lot of organizing, I pray - for the city, for those who are serving, for those who are being served, for those who are watching.
Why do I serve? Even to me, sometimes, it seems crazy that I spend my vacation time on mission trips. I have many people who say that the city of Detroit needs to be leveled. It needs to be blown up. It's corrupt. It's dead.
Well, there are people there.
There are heartbeats.
There are hearts there that have God shaped holes that need to be filled by Jesus.
There are people who need help.
They need food, shelter, showers, toothbrushes, porches painted, there are kids who need playgrounds that are safe.
There are mentally challenged left to live in the streets because our state has determined they were to be let out of the facilities that cared for them.
There are people who have been abandoned, abused, left for dead, hurt, and their hearts buried alive by hurt.
There are people who need love.
A love they have never known.
The kind that I have been given.
The kind if love that I never even knew I needed.
Do I think I really can make a difference?
Me, on my own, nope.
Me, with Jesus, you bet I do!
Mother Teresa said "if you can feed 100, then just feed one".
I know that nothing happens except the enemy wins when we stand around thinking we can't make a difference, that its too late.
As long as there are muffins in the city. As long as there people who need help. Until all have heard the love of Jesus, until none are hungry.
I will go to Detroit to serve. However called.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19-20 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
He says go to ALL nations. Not just those far away (though Detroit is far away to someone).
So I go!
(& I will need lots of donations so if you can't go physically with me, you can go in other ways)
Is 58:10 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
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