Just a Follower

1 John 3:18- Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

When the Lord first sent me in the direction of working with the homeless, I had many questions for Him. I reminded Him that I grew up a “subdivision kid” and that I had never been without a home. How could I relate to those who lived on the streets? I also mentioned that He had given me the desire to work with youth to try to prevent them from making some of the wrong choices I had made. Not to work with adults who seemed trapped by their bad decisions. Even with my convincing arguments, the Lord would not give in. However, along with His persistence, He did provide me with some assistance.

The support He gave me, from a worldly point of view, would not have been a likely choice. The friend He chose to ride along with me the first year on the Jesus Bus had only been a Christian for about a year. He was learning the Bible, just as I was. You could say we were “dumb and dumber” in the religious world. (1 Corinthians 1:27). However, the gift that Jim possessed was he was fun to be around and loveable. He could also relate to the people we were picking up. At one time, he had been addicted to drugs and had lived on the street. Everybody loved Jim, therefore he was the way I became comfortable with the homeless and they became comfortable with me.

Jim left after about a year with many filling in for him over the next couple of years. However, one particular Saturday, I was going out solo when I began to recall the days when I taught children in Sunday school. I began to question God again, “I love what you have brought me to do Lord, but I still do not get it. I thought you had called me to work with youth. Where are the youth?” It was about six months later; God began to bring groups in from Lee University to do volunteer work at the ministry. Then I began to notice area middle school, high school and Sunday school groups doing community service projects at Angelic. The youth would ride with me on the bus to hand out water and food and welcome the homeless to our church service.

As I would watch the children through the mirror on the bus, I began to realize what God had done. He had brought me to this point and prepared me, not so I could tell of His goodness, love and His mercy but so He could show these things to His children. While they are serving others or just observing everything out of the bus window, He speaks directly to their heart.   I rarely have to say a word…Thank God! I now understand that His way for my life has reached way beyond the classroom that I had once envisioned for myself.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Loving and trusting Jesus,

Danny