We just finished-up a sermon series called The Amazing Race. It was all about being missional and gave strong incentive to go out and try it. Very successful! There are a lot of stories to share from that experience, and I will someday get to many of them, but today is about the heart of one of our own- totally outside any call from the church- simply the tug of Christ on her heart.
This Family member is raising her grandchild. We have an ever-increasing number of these kinds of families in our community. I'm sure they are in yours too! Lisa (name changed) works full-time and supports both her daughter and granddaughter, helps her invalid brother, and cares for her own mother. Time and money are in short supply, but there is overflowing love in her heart.
Last Sunday Lisa brought her grandchild and some neighborhood girls to church. When they went home, she had the opportunity to meet one of the moms and visit with her. This young mom mentioned that she has been wanting to send her daughter to church and was glad she had liked worshipping with us. She was open to sending her regularly.
Lisa went on to invite the young mom to come to church herself, but the young mom declined, stating that she had two young boys at home with autism.
Lisa let the mom know that they would be welcome, that we have people trained to work with children with special needs, but did not push.
Then she came to me.
She wasn't about to let this go. She came to me for ammunition and backup. She asked me (children's pastor) to visit the home with her. She wants to make this young mom feel safe to bring the kids to church- to show her God's love in action!
Lack of info makes it difficult to know what direction this will take. Lisa believes these boys to be toddlers or young preschoolers, and my connections in the school district tell me they are not receiving care there yet, but there is a team of trained people waiting to welcome this family into the fold
The other part of Lisa's heart is that she wants to come beside this young mom and help her with housework. The little girl she had taken to church told her, as all children are wont to do, that their house stinks. Lisa is certain that it is because of the strain of her family life and that all she needs is some support. She is ready to mobilize a team to clean and care for this lady..
I am so proud of my friend- how open she is to hear God's calling and how eager she is to follow. I pray constantly that more and more of us who gather as Christians would allow God to speak to us like that- and that we would have the strength, love, and compassion to carry it out to completion!
I can't wait to watch and see how God works in this scenario. I have been able to see God begin to work in lives over the past decade and the stories are always amazing. This one promises to be just as exciting!
