Serving Others

My family and I spent the day today serving others alongside our college students & other church members at an apartment complex here in Jacksonville. Pastor Hung and some people from the Korean ministry had been going out there for awhile to help the residents, many whom are new to the country. There are many needs for material goods, jobs, learning English... Today the focus was a "Fall festival" for the children, complete with lots of free food, games, face-painting, balloons, music testimonies, and the raffling of turkeys!

I'll admit I was a little nervous about going because it is a high crime and high gang area. I wasn't sure what to expect and I was a little concerned about our safety. And I wasn't sure how the people who lived there would respond to us... It was all so unknown. But what a blessing it turned out to be! It was interesting to spend time with people from all over the world. Some of the people are from Jacksonville; many of them are from Angola, Bosnia, and every place in between. About 80% are Muslim, and all are low-income.

Do you know what I found? None of that mattered. We were just people. Race, background, socioeconomic status, even religious beliefs -- didn't come between us. The people, some of whom were skeptical at first, warmed up quickly. The children, many of whom don't get much time with their hard-working parents, loved all the attention. And we all had fun enjoying a Saturday afternoon together.

It helps, at times, to be reminded that I am here on this earth for a specific purpose. That - on the days when things are rough, on the days friends are distant, on the days I wonder if I make a difference...am I doing anything to be a light in this world... that God shows me that He can use me when I make myself available.

Somewhere Down the Road...

by Amy Grant

So much pain and no good reason why
You’ve cried until the tears run dry
And nothing else can make you understand
The one thing that you held so dear
Is slipping from your hand
And you say

Why, why, why
Does it go this way?
Why, why, why?
And all I can say is

Somewhere down the road
There’ll be answers to the questions
Somewhere down the road
Though we cannot see it now
And somewhere down the road
You will find mighty arms reaching for you
And they will hold the answers at the end of the road

Yesterday I thought I’d seen it all
I thought I’d climbed the highest wall
Now I see the learning never ends
And all I know to do is keep on walking
Walking ’round the bend singing

Why, why, why
Does it go this way?
Why, why, why?
And all I can say is

Somewhere down the road
There’ll be answers to the questions
Somewhere down the road
Though we cannot see it now
And somewhere down the road
You will find mighty arms reaching for you
And they will hold the answers at the end of the road