several years ago, God put the city of new orleans on my heart. i walked the streets doing ministry a couple of months after the hurricane hit and it was completely devastating. i noticed something though in those dark days, a community was forming, a sense of trust in the good of humanity was forming. people were not just willing to let you into their homes, but they valued and appreciated your service. they gave you cold water and drank warm. they gave you a chair and sat on the floor. there was something beautiful and unique coming out of that broken city.
rewind even farther back, into the past of my grandparents. my mom's parents divorced when my mom was in college after 24 years of marriage. they were that picture perfect American Dream family--and it absolutely devastated my mom and her siblings, but especially my mom due to her close relationship with her father. well, the beautiful part of my grandparents relationship was strengthened in new orleans and mississippi area. they met in mississippi and their first dates were in the french quarter and so much of the history of them was wrapped up in that same city. that broken, ugly, messy city... but the city that somehow, in some way was turning into something beautiful. i asked God for something very specific a couple of years ago, i asked Him to allow me to bring about some redemption in that story. i wanted to bring something beautiful out of something devastating.
now... fast forward to 2010. i'm in l.a. doing inner city ministry for 7 months with an organization. i receive a word that i'm going to take part in being a part of this exact ministry's location in new orleans.
now... fast forward to when i arrive home to atlanta, in december of 2010 after being gone for 7 months. my dad tells me that he believes i'm supposed to have some sort of connection to new orleans.
now... in my head, i was thinking that my 'connection to new orleans' was the fact that i've met and befriended 3 friends (technically more) who live in LA and i just believed that was my tie, as these friends have become my heart and my soul.
now... 2 weeks ago... i go to new orleans to visit these friends. the weather is horrible, tragedy strikes the family of my friends, i get to pray with a homeless woman and God reminds me of the word i got in l.a. that i basically let go out of my mind.
now... it's wednesday of this week. i meet someone from the area. who is transferring from nashville, back to louisiana starting at lsu as a sophomore in a couple of weeks. (side note: i got a word from my dad that i was going to introduce two friends.... i ended up introducing chase to michael because michael is already at lsu and is about to start a guys bible study... again, i think this is the significance of the new orleans thing in my life...)
now... it's thursday of this week. i feel like i'm supposed to mention to my friend colin that i'm considering the new orleans dream center. he asks me if i remember his past involvement surrounding the nodc and i say not really. he proceeds to tell me that his dad was on staff at church of the king, the church connected to the nodc and that he knows plenty of people there that he can help me talk to and get all set and connected with. he tells me and encourages me to go for it and i end up emailing someone about going there.
now... it's tonight. 11:05 on saturday night. and God is just pouring in on my life in the details. if everything goes completely according to plan, i will be moving to new orleans for about 7-8 weeks at the end of september, and after full-time service with the nodc, i will come home.
... but we all know how many times i thought things wrong leading up to now. so there's really no telling is what i'm getting at....
but... pray with me and believe with me! i am so thankful for this opportunity to go to the broken city, but the beautiful one. the one God wants to restore.
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