Panic Mode?

I have been dreaming with a few friends over the last year about doing something that would bring together hundreds of people to impact my neighborhoods. We came up with the idea of doing a painting blitz and neighborhood cleanup just before Thanksgiving. We have already painted 16 houses and the mechanics of doing this hasn’t been too difficult to figure out and see God work. So what’s the big deal with doing 10 houses on the same day and having a big celebration at the park in the area?

Well – it is easy to say all of this but to actually see God bring us 10 families to help, gather almost 300 volunteers and then to see most of the supplies for painting, cleanup and lunch donated is truly a miracle. I love to dive into the waters and even attempt to swim out further than is safe but this is truly something that is bigger than Dave can handle on his own. Each week I have seen the Lord provide in truly surprising ways. I usually do get the jitters before a big event. I am learning to trust God, delegate better to my network of New City/Barrio Nuevo friends and see some great results.

I write this before the event to be reminded that my real goal is not a big event but to see one life touched. I want to see a kid who has been raised around gang violence, poverty and a lack of Gospel Love have an opportunity to see that life is a beautiful gift and doesn’t ‘suck’. I know that what happens on this one Saturday is really just a link to many other events God will bring about to see South Phoenix become a better place to live, where the neighborhoods really become communities.

It isn’t easy for me to let go of the details and trust the Lord. I want everything to be perfect. Yet, the reality is that I have 13 different teams who will be doing their work without me having my fingers in what they are doing. God is going to work in spite of my ocd! My hope is that the kids we have be loving on over the last year will get a better sense of what God can do and that in the end the little person does matter and the Jesus came to give them the best life possible.

Please pray with me and for the 300 that will help out and the many families that will benefit from this Make a Difference Saturday.

Dave