Transform

This past weekend Ali and I participated in an event called Transform, through our church. Transform is relationship-focused and is designed to achieve three goals: 1) build relationships, 2) focus on education and 3) serve with community. We served at a local elementary school in a lower-income part of Lewisville. This was our third and final Transform event this summer and a time to invite the community out for free lunch, free backpacks, school supplies, and fun! I was the Connector for our group, which means that I get to talk to everyone and help them get to know each other - a perfect job for me! Our group walked the neighborhood for about 3 hours that morning to pass out fliers to the community telling them about the event that afternoon. I was originally supposed to be in charge of face painting that afternoon, but thankfully someone else took my job. Instead, Ali and I were rock star condiment squirters and increased the efficiency of the hamburger/hot dog line by 1000% percent, easy! Towards the end of the day, I was watching a lady walking off with her three kids, all with backpacks in hand. They were laughing and looked like they didn't have a care in the world. We made eye contact and she asked in broken English if she could help with anything. I explained to her that the last project was actually finished that morning and that we were all done. (Side note: I always tell my stories with appropriate accents, so read this in a Spanish accent to get the fullness of this story). She said, "I want to help, but I always working. I work, work, work. I work so hard for my family. I pay bills, I pay rent, I pay insurance, and my husband, he just sits there. He do nothing. I pray last night. I say, "God, how am I going to pay for school supplies? I have no money." This morning, I wake up to knock on my door. I open door and they say, "Free food, free supplies, free backpack!" I say, "Oh, God! Thank you, thank you! You are there..." She asks me, "Is He real?" I said, "Yes, He's real!" She said, "He has to be!" Her eyes started tearing up. She said, "He listens!" I said, "Yes, He does!" She said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, "Well, you're welcome! I'm thankful that the Lord provided for your family like he did and that you don't have to worry anymore!" She went on to say that she has been working hard, cleaning houses for 18 years and she loves Americans. I thought that was funny. Not that she cleans houses but that she expressed her love for Americans. Anyways, it was just a really sweet moment and it was so awesome to hear her story and see the Lord revealed in that way. Sometimes it's hard for me to not get caught up in the details and making sure that projects are completed, but I was able to see the mission of Transform in action.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6: 25-34

Be encouraged. The Lord provides.