An Example of Love

I heard a story last night about a woman who moved into a poor, high crime, urban neighborhood. She described how God had given her family a house previously owned by drug dealers. Their mission was to exist there in the shadows of the city (the part where God seems to have abandoned humanity). She makes an effort to walk down the street, every evening, with her husband and three young children in tow. Over time the neighborhood children start to play at the house and she welcomes them with open arms. A local church starts providing hand-knit mittens during the cold months for the children. She planted a seed of love in a place full of darkness and hate.

As I sat listening to this story I thought about my place here. I was challenged to reexamine my own calling. My effort to lead a small group of children in Little Saigon have been challenging lately. For the past few months all I could feel was friction and despair. The job here was getting increasingly difficult and I saw little impact in the kids, their families, or the culture at large. But I sense now that the real miracles are just beginning. Perhaps God is finally ready to torch something to get my attention.

You can listen to the story above yourself at Mars Hill, entitled The Most Normal Thing Imaginable