Passion to Action

This is the title of a book I have just recently read, but more than that, it is partially an answer to my question "what next". When I first returned to Canby from Uganda, I was overwhelmed by the need that remained and my desire to serve.

"Love your neighor as yourself". "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", "I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was in prison and you came to me."

These are just a few verses that came to mind as I thought about our charge to DO. In the last verses from Matthew 25, Jesus ends by saying "Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me". It is not enough to just know the right thing to do, or even have a burning desire, I have to DO it. The enemy would like nothing better than to have us sit idly by enjoying all that we have and being satisfied with our things. But that isn't what God wants. I believe that we all want to do what Jesus has called us to do and have been given the gifts to do what He wants us to do for His glory.

In the book I mentioned above, the author writes, towards the end of the book, "...it has been about mobilizing ordinary, average people to get out of their comfort zones to discover their unique gifts and then use what God has given them to bless others." THAT is what I want to DO.

We saw in Uganda that getting out of our comfort zone was difficult, but the payoff for stepping out in faith with God was huge! Before I left for Uganda, I asked the question: "God, why don't You do someting about the suffering and the horrors we hear about in Uganda?" His patient answer to me was "I am - I am sending you". It is much more that He is doing though: He is sending His church - us - into the world to do His work in meeting the needs of the poor. To feed them, give them something to drink, heal the sick, and all of the other work He has for us to do. We have a team in Mexico doing just these things right now.

My wonderful wife, Debbie, has often reminded me that there are poor right here in Canby. She is absolutely right and I have not really done anything to meet the needs right in my own back yard. Maybe God had to take me clear across the world to awaken me to the need right in front of me. Are the people in Canby any less worthy of help than those in Uganda? God loves them every bit as much and has planted us right square in this town for a reason. I try to get my head around all of the need in the world and can't even grasp the comparatively few needs that we have seen. God is not shaken though and His plan is to send His body out into the world, even if it is in our own town, to do His work, love His people and be the light to the world.

We have all heard the term "walk the talk". I read another similar one in this book: "Show me what you say". Whether it is "Love your neighbor", "Do unto others", "Feed my sheep" or "Show me what you say", they all require one thing from each of us: action - take a God-given passion and put it into action! We can't change the whole world, but we can do our part to help one child, one villiage in Uganda, one city in Oregon or who knows - maybe God will actually use us to change the world!

Continue to pray for our team in Mexico and the future medical clinic in the village of Kachungwa.

In His service,

Dave