Let your light so shine . . .

There are no coincidences.  We have been working through My ABC Bible Verses with Grae and it never fails to amaze me that the verse we have each week seems to directly correspond to something we are working on or wrestling with.  This week's verse is:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

Last night at the end of our annual missions conference, we had 3 awesome speakers come from New Song Community Church in Sandtown.  I must confess that just the words Sandtown gave me pause.  I remembered a youth group missions project when we worked for Habitat in the 90's and where I, a naive and very suburban girl, worked in a neighborhood where I felt very white and very uncomfortable.  This is an area that I would not purposely drive through and where I would feel compelled to wind up my windows and lock the doors.  Sandtown is a hopeless place, right?

As usual, God uncovered my hidden sin and confronted me with my own misconceptions.  Sandtown is a growing thriving community.  Why did I assume that God couldn't do a work there?  God surely loves people, and there are lots of them in that community.  Pastor Thurman Williams confronted us by saying, "Sandtown ain't no Ninevah"  Shame on me for my arrogant ideas.  The speakers didn't deny that there was crime in Sandtown, but they reminded us that there are people there that are made in the image of God and that He loves very much.  Why am I more open to foreign missions than that of a vibrant outreach, not 20 miles from my home?

This experience reminded me that I need to pray.  These awesome men and women are living and reaching out with the love of Christ to their neighbors.  I need to pray for that work in Baltimore.  I also need to pray about how I can reach out in my neighborhood with the love of Christ.  God can save even the drug dealer on my court and the young urban professionals with their fancy cars.  I am reminded of the great grace that He extended to me, a great sinner.

Check out this awesome work:  http://www.nsc-church.org/