Who Will Go?
Working with broken people can be challenging. Not everyone has the patience for people who seem desperate for help one day, but walk out the door a week later because they want to eat brown rice instead of white rice! When we first started working with homeless and addicted people, we had no idea the trials we would face and lessons we needed to learn. First, we housed males and females in the same building. Umm…that did not work! Surprisingly, five women ended up sleeping and living in our own living room! One morning I went downstairs only to discover one of the women wearing a sweater of mine that I thought was still in my closet! When we asked her to empty her over-sized purse, we were shocked to find a few huge commercial rolls of toilet paper shoplifted from department store restrooms amongst many other stolen items. Needless to say, we had no idea what we were doing and often still don’t, but God’s grace enables us along the way.
When God birthed The 180 Center, a discipleship training center for men desiring freedom from addiction and desperate for change, He chose my husband to pastor countless broken men. Since I’m married to Mike, I think I know him better than anyone else. I could list his gifts and the character traits that I think “qualify” him to lead this ministry because there are many. However, I truly don’t believe God chose Mike because he possesses wonderful traits or virtues. Instead, I am certain God chose him because he was available! I remember distinctly the day he stood up in church and said he was willing to go and serve God’s purposes. Later, when God directed Mike to deny himself a ministry salary so that he’d be available to wounded men and worthy of their trust, he obeyed. Perhaps the greatest blessing has been watching God transform Mike through his availability and obedience. He’s developed new gifts as he continues to surrender his will to God. The gift of mercy pours out of Mike into the lives of men who never thought they would receive another chance at life. A team of leaders was discipled and some graduates now serve alongside him at The 180 Center.
For two years The 180 Center served the city of New Haven as a warming center for the homeless. Seeing needy people asleep on mats on the floor reminded us of our crowded living room. What an awesome privilege to do what Jesus would do! The 180 Center is just one of many ministries and churches reaching out to our local community. We praise God for the hearts of His servants! Still, He tells us in Matthew 9:37,38 that “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” So we continue to pray for more servants! We need more laborers now! Do you hear God calling you? The prophet Isaiah said, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’” Isaiah simply replied, “Here am I. Send me!” God is searching for those with a similar response. He longs for willing and yielded hearts.
All churches and ministries have great challenges ahead in the midst of this pandemic and division in our nation, but this is not the hour to retreat! The need is greater than ever before! The harvest is ripe! Not only do we need to be praying for workers, but we need to ask ourselves if we are available for His purposes at this hour. Being available means surrendered to His will and not our own. It means that our lives may need to do a u-turn. We may need to leave what’s familiar to serve Him where He wants us to go. He may lead us to serve where we feel uncomfortable or unqualified, but He promises to give us grace! That grace transforms us into the people He wants us to be. Missionary martyr Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” In other words, obeying God’s call is worth more than anything on this earth! The Lord is asking who He can send. Who will go for Him? Will you answer His call?
