TWO YEARS!
Just the other day was October 20th and I remember that as the date God gave me that we would be moving tow years ago. At first I thought we would move to Alabama when we sold our house, but after the Pattersons were already here I wanted to know when we might move. So I asked God and into my head dropped the date October 20! We felt that was from God and on October 20, 2009 we arrived in Alabama to make our new home.
Terry and I recently went back to Ohio to visit with friends and family and it was a joyful visit, but I have no regrets about leaving Ohio. In fact, I think we have been surprised how easily and quickly Fort Payne has become home. God is very good!
As I was relating this to Katie yesterday as we shopped and delivered food, she said October 20th also was the date last year when we finished the Mentone home makeover. Wow, what a lot has happened in these last two years. God has filled our days with ministry to this community. He continues to prepare the way, having us make connections that lead us to further ministry.
Most recently, we have felt an explosion of the need of the people here. Or maybe, it is because we, as a ministry in town, have become more well known, especially as people who help. This week we had a new request for a student to join the Academy, someone had their water turned off, someone couldn’t pay an electric bill and another family didn’t have any food.
There needs to be a transformation of our minds to realise that putting pennies in a little plastic loaf of bread in October for world hunger, doesn’t quite meet the need. Our responsiblilty as God’s people requires more. As God has surely been changing me over these last two years, our minds need to shift into Kingdom mode from a worldly Christian mode. May the Lord open our eyes to see our neighbors, open our hearts to feel their pain, and open our minds to know we are the ones who God has placed here, or wherever you live, to be Jesus to those who need the help and hope of our Savior King.
Blessings to you, Joyce
