Epiphany?

Today I look around and my breath catches in my throat.

Surely I should take off my shoes, or raise up my hands, or fall to my knees... Surely this moment is Holy.

God has been so good to us!

I think of the opportunity I was given on Tuesday to buy 9 bundles of joy their very OWN Bible. (And for most their very FIRST bible too!) I think of the way that we have never once had 9 kids come to iGod on a single day, but I think of what a blessing it was to be forced to wait to hand out Bibles because we had 4 more kids show up than we had Bibles to give! Three of which I had never even seen before!

Now that's a "Problem" worth celebrating!

It blows me away that we have been at Creekwood every Wednesday afternoon since September and still haven't seen or met all the kids who live there. I think of all the kids who just in the last month or two have started coming regularly. Which makes me wonder how many more kids are out there maybe looking on apprehensively from their window each week, still trying to determine if we are just going to be another "short-term outreach project" or not. Still trying to determine if we are going to stick around or not.

I think everyone is still trying to figure us out.

I was just asked yesterday by one of the new girls what exactly we are doing in their neighborhood every week... I was quick to explain to her all the games we play, or the crafts we make, and the snacks we have. But right at the very end of our conversation I slipped in the part about Bible study. Yep, that's right, I "slipped" it in. Now I don't know about you, but if our mission is solely focused around sharing the love of Christ, I don't think having Bible study deserves to just be "Slipped" in at the end. If anything the bulk of my answer to her question should have been about all that takes place to equip them and help them grow in their relationship with the Lord, and then maybe a sentence or two could have been "slipped" in about a few games we might play too.  Now I know that's not how kids minds work... or peoples minds in general really. I understood that in order to get her there to even have the opportunity to hear God's word I had to tell  her about all the appealing stuff first. It's almost as if I were like, "Hey, listen, we are going to have all sorts of fun, we are going to play games you have never even thought of, and maybe make some cute little bracelets for you to take home, and even feed you...but here's what I forgot to mention, we would also really appreciate it if you stayed for a short little Bible Study at the end too."

I wince at the thought of that being the way things come across.

One thing I know for sure though is if it's up to me iGod will NOT be just another "Short-term outreach project". I have seen it happen far too often, and I have even been apart of it... Church groups will agree on one Saturday with the determination to go out and help "fix" the community. Maybe it is a little harsh to say, but seriously you are not fixing much by going into a child's life for one day. Sure it's nice of you to give them some entertainment or some lovin' for a bit, but how much of that are you taking with you at the end of the day when you just walk out of their lives like so many other people have done before.

I think it is ignorant for any of us to think we have the right to go out in mind-set of "fixing" the people and brokenness of a community. Truth is we are all so broken and in need of fixing. It's not about who has more money, or stuff, or connections. It's not about who has more friends, or better clothes, or a nicer house. It's about our savior, and the compassion and altruism he has for us. It's about us realizing how much potential we really have without also losing a grasp on just how tiny of a little spec we are in the great scheme or things.