A Crazy Call
It's time to post another funny story, as it has been a while, but I'm not going to. Maybe you'll get one tomorrow...
Instead, let me tell you about where I am living in the fall and why.
I'm moving to the ghetto downtown because God has called me there.
I've always loved cities and have wanted to live downtown for a long time. I also have a desire to be involved in inner-city ministry. It's not quite a passion, but I feel that this isn't because of a lack of desire but because I haven't had time to develop a passion for this type of ministry. For the past four years God has called me to minister at my school and inner-city work was put on hold.
This past fall I felt God calling me to move to the ghetto. If I have a desire to serve the people who live in the inner city, then I need to live in community with them. Too many social programs involve the upper-middle class running into the city, throwing aid at people and then returning to their safe suburbs. I think ministry is more effective when you walk through people's problems with them, not throw help at them from a distance. This is what I felt God is calling me to do.
I wasn't sure Tamara, my soon-to-be-roommate, would be happy with this idea. I asked her to pray for God's guidance on where we should live and I started praying that God would tell her downtown. (I'm not sure that was exactly fair for Tamara but whatever...)
A while ago Tamara showed me some apartments she was looking at and they were all in the suburbs. I figured that was my answer and I stopped praying about it.
Until a couple weeks ago when Tamara, in a conversation about where we should move, stated that she thought we should move to the ghetto and that God was calling us there. (At this point I still hadn't said a word to her about wanting to live downtown.) As you can imagine I flipped out. I wasn't making this calling up. God did answer my prayer!
So we are moving downtown sometime at the end of the summer. It's scary and exciting all at the same time. I have no idea what God wants me to do when I get there and that frustrates me. I know I am supposed to move there and I'm trying really hard just to trust and follow what I know; it would just be nice to know more.
There are days when I really flip out about this move. I mean, I'm just a little white girl. What difference will I make? I know God's the only One who will ever make a difference in people's lives, I just hope I don't get in the way.
But until then I need to graduate (One more class, two tests and a paper to go), travel to India and back and find a place to live downtown.
Being a Christian is incredibly exciting.
Instead, let me tell you about where I am living in the fall and why.
I'm moving to the ghetto downtown because God has called me there.
I've always loved cities and have wanted to live downtown for a long time. I also have a desire to be involved in inner-city ministry. It's not quite a passion, but I feel that this isn't because of a lack of desire but because I haven't had time to develop a passion for this type of ministry. For the past four years God has called me to minister at my school and inner-city work was put on hold.
This past fall I felt God calling me to move to the ghetto. If I have a desire to serve the people who live in the inner city, then I need to live in community with them. Too many social programs involve the upper-middle class running into the city, throwing aid at people and then returning to their safe suburbs. I think ministry is more effective when you walk through people's problems with them, not throw help at them from a distance. This is what I felt God is calling me to do.
I wasn't sure Tamara, my soon-to-be-roommate, would be happy with this idea. I asked her to pray for God's guidance on where we should live and I started praying that God would tell her downtown. (I'm not sure that was exactly fair for Tamara but whatever...)
A while ago Tamara showed me some apartments she was looking at and they were all in the suburbs. I figured that was my answer and I stopped praying about it.
Until a couple weeks ago when Tamara, in a conversation about where we should move, stated that she thought we should move to the ghetto and that God was calling us there. (At this point I still hadn't said a word to her about wanting to live downtown.) As you can imagine I flipped out. I wasn't making this calling up. God did answer my prayer!
So we are moving downtown sometime at the end of the summer. It's scary and exciting all at the same time. I have no idea what God wants me to do when I get there and that frustrates me. I know I am supposed to move there and I'm trying really hard just to trust and follow what I know; it would just be nice to know more.
There are days when I really flip out about this move. I mean, I'm just a little white girl. What difference will I make? I know God's the only One who will ever make a difference in people's lives, I just hope I don't get in the way.
But until then I need to graduate (One more class, two tests and a paper to go), travel to India and back and find a place to live downtown.
Being a Christian is incredibly exciting.
posted by Andi at
1:48 PM
