Just Do It!

How do you make a difference with this approach to ministry? Simple, you just do it! Love and compassion are the key….and you have to get your hands dirty. I have found that this way of doing ministry is similar to how Jesus did His ministry here. He showed love and compassion to individuals. The Bible talks more about individual miracles and people than it does the multitudes. And it’s because of this love and compassion to individuals that word got out and the multitudes came.

One of my greatest examples of following that still small voice and showing love and compassion is our Christmas Shoes Project. While visiting a small poor village in Guatemala in 2006, this little 5-year-old cutie pie began following us around. I noticed how rough and scarred her little bare feet were, as she followed us around and I played and interacted with her. We took some photos of her as we continued to move about the village just praying for folks. Later back in my home office here in Virginia as I was reviewing the photos for this trip, the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and said put shoes on her feet and others like her. So out of an obedient heart of compassion I began to collect new socks and tennis shoes and began placing them on needy children’s feet in Guatemala.

As we celebrate 10 years of just doing what God called us to do in a simple compassionate way, we share the love of Jesus with each child. The socks and shoes are a what we use to show that we genuinely care for them and their physical needs, which opens the door to their hearts for us to share the love of Jesus.

I want to encourage you to get involved, no matter how small the task or how large the task, God will provide if HE is the inspiration. He will provide for each step along the way. And He will reward you in ways you would never expect for your obedience to His calling.

Over the years we have kept up with that little 5-year-old and have watched her grow. Each year we sent her a special care package and began taking care of her school and medical needs. What we did not know about that little 5-year-old girl who was following us around at the time, she was supposed to have been aborted. Her mother had her at age 13 and was told to go get an abortion. Praise God He spared her life so He could speak to me through it and we could bless many children with His love.

But that is not the end of her story or ours. You see last year I got a call from her that changed our lives. She needed to go to the Doctor and in the process of speaking with one of her care givers, we found out the rest of her story. This little girl had lived a Cinderella life. She was an unwanted child. She had been mistreated, made to labor, abused verbally, mentally, and beaten and burned physically, and was living in a home with relatives that practiced witchcraft. When we found this out our hearts just melted. We already knew that we needed to do something. God brought her into our lives for a reason. Because of how the Holy Spirit used her to speak to me, she unknowingly, had already made a difference in countless lives.

We asked her mother if we could bring her here to live with us and give her an education. We would pay for everything and one day she can help us in our ministry in Guatemala if she chooses. She agreed and we began the paperwork. When we went to Guatemala, we had everything completed in 7 days! Again, another miraculous sign.

Today, Rossina has lived with us for little over a year. She is doing an excellent job in school and is thriving both physically and emotionally. We are blessed in so many ways because we just did something.

How about you? Is God speaking to your heart in that still small voice to do something? Maybe you have been blessed with a talent of some sort, use it for Him. Maybe God blessed you with great wealth, use it for Him, maybe God blessed you to be a prayer warrior. Whatever your talent…..Just Do IT! Your life will never be the same!

We are HIS hands to do HIS work to bring HIM the Glory!