Love, Witnessing and God's Direction

My husband recently joined the 'Blogger Community' and through reading the few posts that he's written I am excited to see that God is quietly doing the same work in both of.... we are truly being brought together in 'one accord'.

God is so amazing!

My husband recently posted about his desire to witness to everyone and anyone he came in contact with, but instead of speaking words he found himself moved by God to just love those around him. (Read the full post here. ~Become a follower while your there!!)

We spent the afternoon together as a family at the park yesterday, and while there my husband, Reu, and I were able to just chat about what God has been doing in our lives. I shared with him about the direction I felt God was leading me to take the Woman's Ministry at our home church. (I am the Women Ministry Leader.)  I have really felt like God wants us out of the four walls of our "Christian Bubble" and not preaching down people throats, but just loving them!

When my hubby was telling me about his recent blog post and experience, and what God has been leading him to do, I felt overwhelmed by what God is doing in us, individually and as a couple called into the ministry.

God has really put on my heart the homeless in our area.  Not that as a small group of 10-12  ladies we can single-handling change it all, but we can love them with the love of Christ.

I've felt God ignite my heart for the ladies in my community...

• the lost and the lonely, 
• the soldier's wife who is left at home overwhelmed by the task of being both Mom and Dad while her husband defends our freedom, 
• the depressed women who feels she can't do anything right and nobody can love her, 
• the single mom who is trying her best to provide for her kids, but in the process works countless hours and hardly ever sees her kids,
• the lonely grandma who sits alone for weeks on end without a single visitor,
• the battered wife who thinks that she isn't good-enough for anyone to ever love her, so she stays, putting her life and the lives of her kids in danger, just to feel loved,
• the secluded teen who has never been told the precious words "I love you" by someone who really does love her,
• the workaholic single women who is trying to prove herself in cooperate America, just to earn so respect and show the voices of her past that she can do something,
• the pregnant teenager who thinks she has no other option than to abort the life that now grows inside of her,
• the woman who smiles on the outside though she is dying on the inside.

You might look around your neighborhood and think 'There aren't many people like that on my block, in my neighborhood, in my city'... but you are wrong. They are your neighbors, your sisters, your aunts and cousins, even your BBF!

I recently was out running errands one day when I saw this tiny lady attempting to carry a huge duffel bag and about 6 or 8 grocery bags full.  I assumed she was coming home from the grocery store and didn't own a car, so I pulled over to offer her a ride.  She was i shock to say the least!  She said that she had a few other errends to run before catching a bus back to the local big city she was from (which is about a 40 minute drive by car of the Interstate.)  I told her I didn't mind and that I'd take her to where she needed to go.  Again, she was shocked.  Was she shocked that someone noticed her?  Shocked that someone would stop to help her?  Shocked because of fear of what I'd do to her?  I don't know but I do know that as she ran into the places she needed to go I just sat in the van and prayed that God would give me words to speak. "God, let me pray for her and let your Holy Spirit overwhelm her so that she can be radically changed by your touch."  "Lord, give me a word of knowledge so that I can speak into her and she'll know that it is you!"  "God, tell me what to say!"

Silence.

Nothing.

I didn't get any great words of knowledge to share with her, I wasn't even lead to pray the 'salvation' prayer with her.  I was just asked to listen to her and love her.

I found out a little bit about Shawntelle that day.  She is a drug addict.  She is homeless.  She is hurting and she just wants to be loved.

I just listened as she shared whatever she wanted to with me.  i didn't ask many questions, I just listened.  She shared a lot with me in those two hours we were together.  Did I have other places I'd rather have been? Yep.  Did I have other errands to run?  Yep.  Did I have a hard time with the smell, and the nervousness she showed in every movement?  Yep.  Did I love her like God asked me to?  I sure hope so!

I am in great anticipation to see where God leads me, my hubby and our family.  I am in anticipation of the people God is going to put in my path to love. I look forward to seeing our congregation grow, not because we walked around shoving the Word of God down people's throats or because we live "Holier than Thou" lifestyles, but because people saw, felt and experienced the Love of Jesus through us.

Who is God putting in your path to just love today?