Back in my "Come to me" post I mentioned the Juan Mann "Free Hugs" video that has been widely circulated online at youtube.com. (It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3Emjk3Zko&mode=related&search=.) The first time I saw it, something about it kept drawing me back into it. Then I realized it was the idea of 'taking love (God's love) to the streets' that drew me. At the time, my book Healing Tears was just being released. I heard God leading me to "Take Healing Tears out of the church and into the street." Skeptical, I complained, "But how am I supposed to take a 10-week 'healing' study to the street...???" I didn't get it.
Soon after that, I was driving along and noticed, for the first time ever, SafeHouse. Immediately, I got it. That's the street. A flood of memories came to me from my own childhood experience at a safehouse...and the love and care that I experienced there with the staff. I pursued taking Healing Tears there, but an opportunity hasn't become available at this point. But it did give me a broader view of how to take God's love out of the church and into the community.
Then I sensed God calling me on a "blindfolded faith-walk"...to leave my small group and spend between 3 weeks and 3 months at another large church's care ministry. I spent 4 weeks there, gaining insight, building relationships and building a vision for the 'church'. Through a very unexpected turn of events, God had me return for one more week and confirmed that my time there was finished. (Sorry to be so vague, but this IS the internet.)
Now I'm awaiting direction for the next step. I'm excited as I see potential opportunities for my involvement in God reaching the streets of my community...and reaching the hearts of multitudes of people...much like I saw in the Free Hugs video...but then also transforming those hearts into lives of beauty and freedom.
I will continue, with excitement at what's ahead, on my blindfolded faith-walk. I've finished my Clash of Hope workbook on conflict resolution, and I'm just reading it over before I send it in. So I get a little break!! :) Please pray for God's direction and that those of us needing to hear it will listen closely. Thanks for reading.
