Fireflies

So I have sat here for a few minutes deliberating what my last blog would be about and how I could creatively explain my time at CHAT. I have written things and deleted things, but now I have decided to just write how I feel. No fear. Just honesty.

I sit here and think of what the Lord has done in my life in only a 10-week period. He has simply answered my prayers. For years at FSU, I have felt like my life has lost purpose and guidance. I have lost tons of people close to me and even thought I had lost my faith. Night after night, I would sit in my room in Tallahassee, and ponder, “what I am doing?” Seems like a pretty common question to ask. It felt foreign to me. I always knew or thought I knew what I was supposed to look like and act like. If I felt one way and didn’t like it, I would just change it and feel better.  It was all about my “feelings.” And for most of my life, I felt pretty good about everything. Actually, I felt so good all the time, that at one particular moment, I decided to pray for hardships to make me stronger. Wow… was that bold! Totally ignorant to what that actually was, I just went along with my life and expected God would give me something that looked really hard, but would be really easy to overcome so I could say to people, “Man… God really moved in my life and I’m stronger because of it.”

Well, God does what He does and answered my prayer of hardships and allowed me to go things that I though I couldn’t make it through. Depression, Loneliness, and a complete dry period of my faith. I got to a point that I wasn’t sure of the purpose of my life and wasn’t sure if I wanted to live anymore.

I carry around a note card in my wallet that has two things written on it; one side states the name of a NFL player that took his life around the same time I was going through my struggles and the other side has 1 Corinthians 10:13

All of these things took place my junior year of college. Towards the end of that year, I really fell down and knew that the only place that would bring peace and comfort was the Lord. I wasn’t sure how that was going to happen, but I knew He would provide like He had promise. I decided to pray for a couple different things. Prayed for a new picture of who He was because even though He hadn’t changed I still saw Him not as He was. I also prayed for authentic Christian fellowship in my life.

The answers to those prayers can be summed up in what Church Hill did for me. It showed me a God that isn’t about if you “look” like a Christian, but actually the personal relationship you have with the Lord and how that transforms your life into something other than what you have planned. It showed me how much a group of people seeking after the Lord can really influence your own life and help you grow in your own walk. True fellowship.

The last week I was with CHAT, I went to a summer camp with 45 kids from CHAT and saw what the Lord was doing all along. I worked with two kids all summer and planted seeds and did my best to harvest those seeds by my own accord, but at this summer camp, when I was all but done and had resigned from the students, He woke me up and let me know that His work was not over. It was my 4^th quarter and I really hope that I did a good job in His eyes. All I know is that kids accepted Christ and came to know Him on a very authentic level. Not emotional. Not feelings. But a tangible relationship with God that if they were asked who they relied upon, they would simply answer “Jesus and His work on the cross.” When I right things like that down, it reminds me that God is alive even when we are dead. That He does not need us to do anything, but He chooses to use us, through are success and failure, to illuminate the only thing that is important in life, a relationship with Him.

I always had a focus on salvation and with good right. Nothing can ever restore us or reconcile us but salvation, but that is not the end. Somewhere along the way I forgot that my life is called for worship. Worship to the One who saved me. Surrender to a God that has so many promises of fulfillment in my life. I was still working for His approval, even though I had already received the gift of the Gospel. I was serving because I wanted to worship instead of worshiping by serving. I know it sounds the same, but if you sit down and think about that mindset then it isn’t the same. One says, “by my own accord” and the other says “by His accord.” I want to worship and surrender to Him, everyday, every second, all the time. He has not only saved me from spiritual death, but physical death. I know that if I worship Him, then I will be following His path and road for my life and ultimately… that is really all I want. He will choose my occupation, where I live, my spouse, my friends, and my words if I just surrender like He has called me too.

John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

…apart from me you can do nothing

Nothing has spoken to me like that verse. It humbled me to a point that I know I cannot move a limb, open my mouth, or take a breath with God’s hand.

I went to Church Hill to serve people and I left serving the Lord.

Peace and Love,

Dirty Handz

Real Life

I have always had a meal to eat. The reality behind Church Hill and the world is that not everyone gets those same basic needs. About a week ago, a few children from the day camp were brought to the lighthouse to eat with the boys and me for lunch. A leader from the camp had asked me if that was “ok” and I said “absolutely.” A few moments later I was pulled aside and told that these children had not eaten for almost two days. REAL LIFE. Remember these are two CHILDREN. I could not believe that this was the case, but I immediately told the boys to “suck it up” and let our guests take as much as they want before we eat. I explain to the boys the scenario and they understood completely and were generous with the meal. We sat and ate lunch as two children devoured food. I was later told that there were situations at home that wouldn’t allow for the children to eat as a punishment for misbehavior.

Since I have been here, I have seen poverty, drugs, alcohol and many devastating things, but this topped them all. FOOD is a basic need for humans to survive and they had gone without it. I wanted to rap my arms around them and tell them that they have a Savior who loves them and will always care for them even in times like these. He is our Manna and we look to Him for the bread of life even when we have no temporary food here on earth.

Stories like these are what I knew I would encounter, but when you put a face on the story and when you develop relationships with these students and they are disappointed and hurt on a daily basis, it is exhausting! You want to be there for each and every kid; every waking moment, but that would be taking over for the Lord and I know I don’t have the strength to do it. Trying to do everything and trying to fix all the problems is just a lack of faith. The Lord can reconcile, mend and draw people closer to Him in dire times. He did that with me and I know how valuable that time is.

Almost every other day, I here of a story that breaks my heart. A child goes without food, a parent is an alcoholic, or a parent isn’t even there. All these heartaches are things children shouldn’t have to deal with, but yet they do. You can weep for them, hang out with them and care for them, but the most important thing that I have learned is to be an example of Christ in their life. Freakin’ hard! But I try! If they see, hear and live with people trying to be like Christ, they can understand how real He is and how powerful His love is.

Nehemiah’s Workshop has been off an on for the past two weeks because we completed our orders and we are trying to get new ones. This is a difficult task for the boys, but they are getting better and since they work off commission they “want that money!” We just finished a Pirates Toy Chest (that looks awesome!), some more Cornhole sets and picnic tables. I’m starting to get pretty good in the shop and I credit it to my Crouch genes (Papa Larry especially!) I have pictures that I will try and share soon. It has been a blessing to be in the shop, but some of my favorite times are our devotion time in the morning and the times we just go out to dinner or hang out outside of “CHAT.” Time to learn about REAL LIFE and the struggles both AJ and JaQuon face. The next goal of mine is to get them to write down the story of their life and share it with me. I believe that the two things you have in your life are “your story” and God’s Love. Those things will remain constant and will give you the power to share the Gospel with people. (Stole that one from you Papa Mike).

Still lovin’ my time here, but it has taking a toll on me. Times of frustration, exhaustion, and just plain wanting to give up. The interns and I say “4^th Quarter” or “dig deep” to each other in times when you can see the “give up” in people. It reminds me to rely on God when I got nothing left in the tank. And usually, the Lord taps into the “extra stuff” in me and I get through the day! It proves to me that He is real and that He is powerful.

So it’s going good and little time left. Trying to soak up every last minute because I never know when I will feel like this again! Tomorrow is King’s Dominion (a theme park) with the kids and then on Friday, the intern retreat, which is at a lake house (where I will not be inside for one second, on purpose!). I will be fishing, walking, and just spending some quite time with the Lord and His creation. NOTHING BETTER! I am so excited about both experiences and cannot wait for them.

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.

-       Nehemiah 9:19-21

Peace and Love,

Dirty Handz

PS Hopefully, pictures will come in the next one!

I can see it!

I can see it!

Now what shall I do with it?

Do I leave it here… or do I take it with me?

These are all questions I have been struggling with. I can go home and to college and watch how the world is broken and corrupt of Life or I can create an image of what I have seen here. This community of Church Hill and the love and hope that surrounds the people who trust in Him. I have learned that it’s not about where you are, but about the people who are with you. Church on Sunday was about a call to respond! A response that Jesus discussed in the Sermon on the Mount. Percy Strickland described it as, “making a real, tangible, life altering decision.” These decisions I make will be the deciding factor in the way I live outside of CHAT and Church Hill. We discussed the verse, Matthew 7:13-14, and how God’s road is narrow and full of different trials and tribulations. This road is hard, but leads to life! And life abundantly! But the easy and wide road will lead to destruction.

Obviously! Right?

Sometimes sermons can feel boring because you have heard that same sermon before, but the Lord’s Word does not return void! It’s a promise! “Making a REAL, TANGIBLE, LIFE-ALTERING DECSION.” That is real! Every decision you make has to go through the filter of the Lord and I want my decisions to hurt. Aches and pain makes you fall to your knees in humility over the Lord’s power and grace. I want that!

Do I do that? Not always… but my goal is to strive more and more to live a life that dies to myself and glorifies the Lord’s supremacy in me. That makes no sense to some people… but I know that is what the Lord calls us to do and truthfully… it makes no sense for us. It only makes sense for Christ… but He saved me from death and I want to serve Him with no regard for my own desires.

Sounds pretty crappy of a life, but in the few moments that I have truly done this, I have never felt more at peace with the decisions I have made. True SHALOM – completeness, wholeness, welfare that can only be found by the touch and presence of God.

Now what shall I do with it? That was the question I asked at the beginning and I know that the answer is to serve the Lord with all my heart in any place He puts me. Will I always do it? Probably less than I even want to admit, but that is why His GRACE IS MINDBLOWING!

It’s like this web that I am so happy to be tangled in. A web that takes me through life and marks each decision I make and with the good and the bad… I cannot escape His love.

I’m loving my time in Church Hill. I’m loving my time with CHAT! I’m loving my time with the interns! I’m loving my time at Nehemiah’s Workshop! But most of all I am loving my time with my Father!

Had a great week at Nehemiah’s Workshop. My relationship with the boys (AJ and JaQuan) is growing in a way that only the Lord can direct. I pray everyday for a closer relationship with them so that I can glorify His name and be an example for them to follow. Nehemiah’s has now turned into a discipling class for me. We have devotions with everyone in the morning (that is an intern giving there testimony) and then me, AJ and JaQuan have our own time with the Lord. Each devotion time gets better! We talk about real life and how times are hard, but then we take biblical principles and relate them to each story and trial we face. Today story was about a man named Kirby, a drunkard. Should we drive by him or should we pick Him up? What do you think Jesus would do in a scenario like that? Is that hard or easy to do? Questions like these get spectacular answers from AJ or JaQuan! I am so impressed with their honesty because it allows us to examine our weaknesses and how those can be mended and healed through God.

My dude, AJ… he asked me one of the most profound questions I have ever heard. I don’t even think he knows how profound it was, but it was a great lesson for me to teach them. He said, “OK, so Jesus died for us, but why do we worship Him just because of that?” (As I am writing this, I am shedding tears of joy) I explained to AJ, the resurrection of Christ and how He not only died for us, but He conquered death as proof so that we can also do the same with trust and faith in this amazing act! WOW! WOW! WOW! This is why blogs suck… because words are a waste in moments like this. There is nothing like SEEING a person understand the power of Christ! He paused after my answer and just simply said, “yeah.” As if to say, that is the only way it makes sense. And it is so true. Our Savior didn’t just die like everyone else. HE ROSE AGAIN! That is POWER that only He possesses and He grants me that gift if I put faith and trust in that atonement for my sins.

These are moments that I cherish and that will be forever imprinted in my soul. So sorry for not coming home for my birthday, but the Kingdom just was advanced by one and that was so worth it! God has placed me in a place that I should have never been and He is making a real transformative change in me and in student’s lives.

Peace and Love,

Dirty Hands

You learn something new each day... Maybe even a few things!

Alright… well… I am going to do things a little different since it has been a while since I have posted something. A lot happens in one day at CHAT and I will try and keep up with the blogs as much as possible.

So I am going to let you know what I have been learning over the past few days and give a brief example into how God stepped in and taught me something through each experience.

The Lord taught me frustration will occur, but where do we go with it and how does God give us peace

Ex. Not knowing! That is tough for me. Not understanding something and being expected to understand and function is a thing that is difficult. I like for someone to show me the ropes and give me the tools and then I can go forth. Not a big fan of someone expecting for me to pick things up in a moment and when they have done things for a while. At so points, I was overwhelmed with Nehemiah’s workshop and what to do there. I was given so much responsibility and wasn’t sure what to do with it. On top of that, I was worn out and confused on what God was doing with me. Ah! But luckily there is a Mediator and comfort and peace come through Him. After work on Friday, I needed a weekend to reflect and figure out what the Lord wanted from me. It was simple. Keep doing what your doing and stay obedient to His word and His direction. I often complicate the Lord’s plan by doing things for my own glory and its nice to step back and watch God work and not get in the way. We are His hands and feet, but He is the brains of this whole organization.

Patience is a virtue… Virtue is a grace… Altogether they make a lovely face.

Still think that is a cheesy and confusing phrase when you think about it, but it always reminds me to be patience. I have my time and the Lord has His. Wow!, do I need to remind myself to be put on His time zone some times! I often have the plan set out and almost every time, that plan is shifted and maybe even flipped upside down. I asked God many things about my birthday, about scheduling for Nehemiah’s Workshop, and just about my plans for life in general. Everyone of them were flipped upside down and God said, “slow down, bobby… I got it!” My dad always taught me about the story of the tortoise and the hare and how the tortoise eventually wins the race because he is slow and steady, and as my dad would say, “gets the job done.” I’m not sure how biblical that story is… (I would like to think it is) but like the cheesy phrase, it reminds me that when your doing, doing, doing, sometimes your need to slow down and look up! The Lord has His time and your have yours and I promise… It is better to move to the His time zone and let Him work.

A friend is pretty valuable!

I have plenty of friends here… how refreshing that is… let me tell you! These 15 other interns and some of the leaders in CHAT have been there for me and given me a great time to fellowship and learn from. Everyday I find something new about these people and each time, it makes me stronger in my walk and gives me hope that other peers have the desire to serve the Lord. We often have corporate, spontaneous prayer sessions that we do at many of the parks around town. I am not always a fan of corporate prayer because I love to emphasize the importance of personal time with God. I understand the value of it so much better now and am starting to enjoy it once again. It has been a time for us to come together and share ideas about life, how to help a student out, how to correctly discipline a student with love and how to learn from one another. How authentic our time has been together! We are vulnerable with one another and we gain so much respect for one another. This is the first time I can say that with my peers I have really practiced, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) I am so lucky to have friends who cherish the Gospel like we should.

So… I probably learned some more valuable life lessons (I get a handful a day!), but these are the main ones I thought I would share with you.

Also learned a lot about the Sabbath today and don’t think I am, on any level, able to give good advice on it, but I think it is something we should all place a little higher on the priority scale. I mean for GOODNESS SAKE’S… the Lord said we could have a day of rest. I am going to jump all over that! Take a look at some of the verses on the Sabbath and see what you think.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”

-       2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Peace and Love,

Dirty Hands

Nehemiah's Workshop

Me, AJ and JaQuan have been doing work! We started working in our Entrepreneurship program on Wednesday and have been in the workshop from 9am – 4 pm. This program is open for two students to get some school credit while also making some money and learning how to run a business.

Our business is called Nehemiah’s workshop, which is a wood working shop on Marshall St. and 27^th St. in Church Hill. Everyday after 8am devotions we go to the shop and take care of business. We build different products like picnic tables, park benches, corn hole sets, and various wood items. Nothing is sold out of the shop, but people place orders and we schedule dates to make them. This summer, CHAT has a new approach on apprentice’s role in the shop. They are now the owners and need to create every aspect of the business and need to be involved in every decision that is made.

Things like a motto (“Our wood is good!”) and a mission statement (Building the needs of Richmond. Building lives. Building a future.) are all completed and now we are getting to work. On Wednesday we cleaned the shop and bought new supplies at Lowe’s and a local hardware store in town. These are great learning experiences for me and the boys to have because we learn about all the ends and outs of a business and how much work it takes to get everything done. CHAT is guiding us through this process, but the boys are leaders and they are taking control of this business.

The Lord is working and I pray everyday and night that He will give me the strength to focus on Him and serve, both AJ and JaQuan, during this time. All of us have been connecting and having a good time in the shop and I hope for this time to continue. Please pray for boys and there openness to hear the truth of the Word and put it to good use. Both of the apprentices, individually, have so much potential and can be great men of God with the right guidance direction. I hope I can be part of that and in the same time, I know I will learn so much from them, along the way.

14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

-       Acts 21:14

Peace and Love,

Dirty Hands

Being weak...

This idea of “being weak” has taken on multiple meanings this week. First, it was learning about the weakness I have in my own life, then about relying on the Lord in those weaknesses and finally about, just being physically weak.

Wednesday –

Another day of planning. It was a day that I saw the weakness in my own faith. The idea that laziness and complacency can sneak up in the most unexpected ways. One moment you can seem focused on what the Lord has planned for you and then the next you can see how quickly you have strayed away from it for your own personal reasons. In these selfish acts, people create excuses and explanations for what they are doing, but the Lord can smack you in the face and let you know that these are not His ways, but your own ways.

Thursday –

Another day of planning and coming to grips with my weaknesses. The big part of my day was the Bible study with some of the interns in which the speaker spoke about Thessalonians 2:1-12. It is mainly about how humans were not created for glory… God called us into His glory. At the end of his discussion about this passage, the idea that Christians should focus on the moments in life and being weak and humble in these moments can prove to be such a valuable asset into sharing your faith and creating a great place for the cross to enter your story. When you are vulnerable and weak, then Christ can enter the picture and lead your redemption and have all the glory, but when you are prideful the cross loses its power. We are weak in all things… not just “oh, I have a weakness here and here,” but in all aspects we have sin in our lives that cannot be covered without the blood of Christ. I look at myself and see things that I might exceed in, but even understanding that in moments I am weak even in those good things, I remember the cross and how I can never measure up to who Christ is.

Ok, so that might be confusing, but what I am trying to say is that Christians, eventually in there walk, paint a picture of themselves as only needing help in this or that area, but instead we should understand that in all areas of our life, we have some weak moments and even when we feel like we got some stuff together… WE REALLY DON’T! That might not seem like a positive message and will bring you down, but I think that when we are honest with are failures then we are more vulnerable with them to God and He then can transform us into His image. Understanding our failures only can increase our love for Christ because of what Jesus did on Calvary for us.

Friday –

Did not move from my bed all day… Extremely sick! I needed my Mommy to take care of me, but my host mom did a great job! This is what I was talking about when I said physically weak at the beginning.

Saturday –

Drove to Camp Kerr Lake in North Carolina and hung out with the kids. Set up tents, played basketball, went tubing in the lake and cooked out. Was still a little sick and tried my best to have a good time with the kids.

Sunday –

Woke up and drove home. Got sick again and stayed in bed all day. Poopie!

Monday –

Had lunch with the interns. Each week we have a book that we are supposed to read and then each Monday we come together in certain groups and talk about the book. This week was Part 2 of “With Justice for All.” We came together and spoke about the book and the ideas it shares about urban ministry. I really enjoyed that we took things we liked from the book, but that we weren’t afraid to point out things we felt like weren’t in line with our own beliefs. That just shows me that we are all strong in our faith to discern different truths and fallacies we see. Very important! And can only be obtain with an obedient relationship with Christ. Had tutoring with the High School Mix and I see a lot of potential in that group. They are a group that lacks focus and attentiveness, but I hope the Lord can transform their hearts into “seekers” and “finders” for the Lord. Went to dinner at Chick-fil-a with Mackenzie and some of the boys from tutoring. Then finished the day with some corporate prayer with the interns.

So this is a recap of the last few days…

Feel like time is flying by here and I want to soak it all up. I hope this sickness I had is completely gone and that I can get back to work.

Weakness is something that has been on my heart this past week. In terms of physical weakness and emotional and spiritual weakness. These things are what God offers hope for. I honestly cannot find ways to combat my problems and I know that He is there to guide in direct me. Overcoming these sins and failures in my own life will be an ongoing struggle for the rest of my life, but I am reassured that if I never become complacent in my walk with Him then He will provide me with tools to become a better man.

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

-       I Thessalonians 2:10-12

Peace and Love,

Dirty Hands

Ask, Seek, Knock...

All of these things are types of need. Corey (one of the pastors at East End Fellowship), spoke on Matthew 7:7-11 and how it related to God’s generous grace. He started off telling us that God expects child like need from us, so that he can love us fully. The verses before this, tell us that we are messy and filthy in the eyes of God, but (my pastor in Tallahassee always says that “but” in the Bible is his favorite words to hear because the Lord is changing from justice to forgiveness) these verses reflect that there’s help! HE WILL MEET YOUR NEEDS… and that is not always an easy thing to believe, but one thing I know is that it is truth. He does not lie in His promises. We often think that He brings us a stone, when really He has brought us the bread to live sufficiently. Corey finished his sermon explaining that Jesus is not a genie, but a father who is righteous and has a far greater plan for you than you could possibly understand.

Since that time on Sunday, I have been asking, seeking and knocking. One thing that I have never mentioned in this blog is how, for some odd reason, God has given these 16 interns a heart of PRAYER. (I personally believe it has been infectious to see how East End Fellowship and CHAT has put an emphasis on this and as a result the interns just followed by example.) Every day we start with devotions and seeking the Lord’s face.

“I don't wanna talk about Jesus

Just wanna see his face

The trees are swinging

Like hangin' men

And I just wanna see his face

And rapture, sweet rapture

Won't you lay your hands on me

For I am blind”

-       A.A. Bondy, “Rapture (Sweet Rapture)”

This is a verse from one of my favorite artists. It is simple… he is tired of talking about Jesus, he just wants a relationship with Him.

Before we (interns) do anything (and I mean anything) we “dap it up,” which means to pray. We have also done a lot of corporate prayer on different hills overlooking the city, which has been an incredible experience. I believe that it has brought our group a lot closer and has given us a sense of peace and focus throughout our differences and issues.

When we have drawn closer to Him, we have grown stronger together.

The past two days have been about planning and diving deeper into these students’ lives. I love living and hanging out with these people. Everyday I draw closer to the kids and each moment gives me more insight into their lives and how I can be of influence. Sometimes just loving on a kid is just what they need. Not a preacher, not another person telling them they did something wrong, not someone who ignores there issues, but someone to sit quietly with them. Time with someone (actual time and not the routine of the day) is far more valuable to the people of Church Hill than any other resource.

On Tuesday’s tutoring session, after a meeting with staff about discipline, I met a student who had just showed up for tutoring for the first time, in a long time. We always have some time for the students to play outside before we get started. We play basketball, tag and mostly it is just kids running around and it kinda looks like chaos! Well, instantly this student was already getting into fights with other students and just didn’t seem to be happy to be there. I took him aside a few times to correct something he did and I did my best to listen to him. Well… I was not getting anywhere with this guy. I almost had given up on him when all of the sudden the Lord gave me one more opportunity (and I am thankful He did). As another intern was trying to correct him again, he asked for me to come over and talk to him. I was reluctant, but did anyway. I bent down and spoke to the kid in a soft voice and just let him know that when he has an issue he can come to me and I will help him through it. From that point forward that kid just wanted to stay by my side and it finally felt like someone was gonna look out for him. I asked Mackenzie if I could tutor this specific kid and he was all about it. As they called names for students matched up with tutors, he was ecstatic to get me for his tutor. Most of the time we do homework or read a book that they have been reading, but instead I chose to go upstairs and just play a game with him. We had a blast and in between games we just talked. Just talked… it was simple for me, but I could see how each word we spoke to each other was like a brick from his wall being taken down. Needless to say, there were more times to discipline him, but he enjoyed the time we spent and I hope I can follow up with him.

I gave you this story because it was an “ask, seek, knock” moment. Everyday I pray for moments like that. “God, open a door so I can experience life with one of these kids.” It is a plea with God so that I will remain faithful to his will. He answered! And almost more importantly… I did not resist and I followed his direction. I did not ignore the kid, when in my heart I really want to.

I can’t sit here and say that God works the same in all situations, but just remember that God’s word is true and he says,

“Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.”

I hope that we all can see when he does open that door and we do not ignore his direction in our lives.

If we are faithless,

he remains faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

- 2 Timothy 2:13

Peace and Love,

Dirty Hands