Last night, I was apart of an outreach with my church. We went to the North Hollywood train station and begin to sing praise and worship songs and pray for people. One thing I noticed when I first got there was how many different churches and organizations were there doing the same thing. It was very interesting to see how people had there different tactics for accomplishing the same task. We were all trying to find the best (and sometimes the most loudest way) to get the love of God out.
I am not going to lie. I was initially a little uncomfortable. I mean, I am used to doing outreach and I love it, but this seemed different somehow. Everyone [at the station] was on the move and I was certain that the last thing they wanted was somebody being a burden and trying to stop them.
Boy was I WRONG
I came across so many amazing people last night . People who just wanted to talk, and who wanted to encounter the love of God. Not only did they want it, but they were hungry for it. It was jaw- dropping how many people just needed intentional, personal contact. You would think that everyone would just shun these strangers coming up to them and asking them if they needed prayer.
Yes, we got many no's but the few yeses we got were priceless. There were laughter, tears, and questions. It all just reminded me of one important factor:
We are made to love people.
We are made to be in relationship. We are made to step out of our comfort zone and do the work of God. Why else would we be here? We are not just being kept around to simply fulfill our life goals and business plans. It is so much bigger than us. As I was leaving I was half humbled and half ashamed, because I realized that I needed to be doing outreach way more often. Not solely organized outreach but also the more in-arms-length reaching out to the people I see on a daily basis; making sure I stay in God's word enough so that when He tells me to go, or speak, all I hear is His voice and will do so without hesitation.
My final point is this: People NEED you. They need your conversation, your hug, and most importantly they need you to be willing to let God use you and move through you in any and every circumstance.
