Different Sights

If you were driving around West Memphis last week you may have seen some unusual sights on Wednesday and Thursday (March 15-16). Both days there were almost 30 individuals who were out in neighborhoods on the east side of town going door to door knocking and simply asking those at home if they could pray with them. Thursday afternoon if you drove by the park at S. 14th between Polk and Broadway around 4:30pm you would have seen 25 young white individuals hanging out playing games with kids from the neighborhood. If you drove by the Wonder City building about that same time you would have seen about 30 people lined up outside waiting to come in and receive clothes from our annual spring and summer clothing giveaway (a total of 66 families came between 4:30 and 6:30).

These different sights have several things in common. First, they were all possible because a group of college students from Oklahoma Christian University gave up their spring break to come to Memphis and serve in the MUM church plants. Second, they all showed the community that we (Wonder City) are in their community and we care about the community. We care enough to come to your home and sit down, listen to what is going on in your life, and pray for you. We care enough to go to your park and hang out with the kids from your neighborhood and play with them. We care enough to provide clothes for those who don’t have the clothes they need.

That is exactly what Jesus did. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (The Message). He moved into the neighborhood because he and the Father care about the neighborhood. We are in the neighborhood because we care about the neighborhood. Nathan (my current ministry partner) and I were talking the other day that all many people want to know is that someone cares about them. We were able to do that on a larger than normal scale thanks to OCU kids who gave up their spring break. I challenge you to reach out today to someone who may think no one cares about them and let them know that you do care specifically about them?