What a crazy couple of months it has been. The pandemic has definitely rocked our world, to say the least. Thankfully as Christians we can place our feet on the rock that is Jesus, and He will give us peace as we focus on Him. He is the rock eternal, and we are to trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3-4).
One of the things it has reminded me of is how fragile life really is. It’s easy to live like we have many more years on this earth, but in reality, we don’t know how many years we have left. Moses prayed that the Lord would “teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
We need that wisdom to see the opportunities that God gives us. It’s easy to blow them off because of business, apathy, or sometimes we are simply just too selfish. Someone said opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you will miss them.
Right before the pandemic hit, we had our first mission team meeting/training. It was probably the largest number of kids we’ve ever had show up at a first meeting and was going to be our largest team ever. The energy in that room that day was great as people were excited about the opportunity to serve this summer on a mission trip.
Now because of the pandemic, those trips have been canceled. I’ve thought of the older kids that were at that meeting that day who were looking forward to the trips. Due to college, jobs, and life’s circumstances, this summer may have been their last opportunity to go on a trip with us.
We are still working on doing more outreach locally as things continue to open up. Hopefully, some of those kids will be able to join us. Pray for us as we seek to do as Paul wrote in Ephesians and Colossians, “to make the most of every opportunity”. As I wrap this article up, I think of another verse that Paul penned about the opportunity. It’s Galatians 6:10 that says “Therefore, as we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
So many of you lived this verse out in helping us with our drive-through meal and online auction. We had no idea what to expect, but God’s family sure “made the most of the opportunity to do good.” We had so many people respond by ordering food, sponsoring a table, donating auction items, bidding on items, as well as those who came to volunteer their time to help serve the meal. You blessed us incredibly, and a simple thank you doesn’t seem to do justice to the gratitude we feel in our hearts for your acts of kindness during this trying time. Please know how grateful we are for your heart to serve and help us reach the many young people we serve. We couldn’t do it without you.
Mark
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