Rip Offs?

I am just now ‘recovering’ from our amazing Barrio/New City Painting Blitz from Saturday. It has taken months worth of prep to see the day actually come. It was through the help of many, Brad Ghaster, Rebuilding Together of AZ, special friends giving funds and a new neighborhood grandpa, Earl that Saturday’s Nov 20^th Blitz was a great success.

It is always easy to judge or evaluate something either by numbers, i.e. how many people volunteered, how much money was raised, how many of my painting families came to the lunch or how many came to faith in Christ or?? Looking back God is teaching me to see success as a one person at a time ‘thing’. What impressed me was that all of the houses we did had all of the families helping prep. They actually got out and got down and trimmed bushes, sprayed off their homes and picked up trash.

As I look back over the last couple years of doing this what stands out is that when my painting grandmas or grandpas are in need they come to me and ask for help. We have become a connector to the Lord for them. I know looking back that I never imagined that Mr. Sanchez’s family would see me as their spiritual leader. I was privileged to be with Al until the end. I am thrilled that he read through the Bible we gave him. Now as I just visited Ramona and discovered that she is in poor health I see another opportunity to show God’s love and mercy. Her daughter, Francis, just called yesterday to tell us of her mom’s situation and her desire that we stay in touch with her. It is truly amazing to think that we have an impact both on youth and ailing seniors.

So now I am getting use to the fact that with every successful event that we do there will always be some glitch caused by the enemy to rob my joy from the situation. At first this use to really make me mad. I sensed that it was my fault or something but have come to see that it isn’t. The blitz was no different. I had a glitch with a couple of college students who were supposed to bring the grill and food by a certain time and were nowhere to be found. Ouch – this turned into a mess that at first I felt bad about but reflect on the fact that I wasn’t late and didn’t cause something to happen that hurt a few people. I know in the end the lunch was a great success. Sure there are always going to be people clashes because of working with a varied group of people that are different, have different ways of doing everything and sometimes just out right clash.

As I drive to the snow to help a friend get his truck, which his ex-wife blew up I am reminded that if I want friends to step up for me I have to be willing to step up for others like Christ is the ultimate one who stepped up by going to the cross. It is only in Jesus that I have the life, energy and joy to face the glitches. So will I let the rip offs get me down naaaah never? Yeah, I may be bummed for a few minutes but in the long haul I know that Jesus is alive and making a difference in my South Phoenix Neighborhoods.