I often tell people that I've been given the gift of availability. Mike Yaconelli said several years ago, "I think the Christians will be known as the people who have time for you: 'Wanna talk? Sure. How long you got? Long as you need.'" I took that to heart, and as I say, I've been given the gift of being able to take that to heart and put it into practice.
If you don't know who Mike is, here are a few quotes from a way-off-the-chain, passionate, flawed guy who had a lot of encouragement to share with us not-there-yet Christians. More on him in a future post.
We used to go to a church that had a sign you could see as you exited the parking lot: "You are now entering the mission field." This news story from Wichita is a reminder of that truth, and an illustration of just how beautiful the light can be that shines into the very dark places of sexual abuse. I doubt that anything in Shelly's church experience prepared her for this, but I'm certain that God prepared her for that time and place and family. What did she do to prepare? I have no idea, but I know that she chose to be available for two young girls, and changed their lives forever for the better.
Statistically, there's a rape/abuse or post-abortion victim on every pew. Several, actually. Now that's a mission field. Who's being available for them? I hope we all are...
Tomorrow, the story of a local couple who lost their 28-year old son to prescription drug overdose. They decided to say NOPE, and make their grief available to others, that others might live.
A celebration of people who are living out their God-given dreams in all sorts of unconventional ways and places. An exploration of the obstacles to life that we often encounter - some of our own making. A place for stories about people, ideas, culture, history and God.
