Don’t you just hate it when God shows up and inconveniences you?
Yesterday I gave out my last McDonald’s gift card to a homeless person begging at a traffic light. I’ve wrestled with this before. (That’s not the inconvenient part)
As I gave out my last card and asked the man his name I thought, “Wow, it seems like there are more homeless people than ever. Lord, what else can be done? Better go get some more gift cards.”
And then I opened my email (this is the inconvenient part). In the past I’ve volunteered at an event called Project Homeless Connect. It’s a one-stop shop for delivering services to people experiencing homelessness. They gather housing providers, employment specialists, doctors, nurses, mental health care providers, optomitrists, barbers, people providing transportation assistance, food and clothing… All under one roof. The Minneapolis convention center. And then they round up all the homeless people they can find and bring them in for a day of receiving, being cared for, getting assistance…
So I get this email. They need more volunteers for December 12th.
Here’s the deal. I asked. God answered. I don’t want to do it. Not only is it a hassle, but I have something else planned that day that I was looking forward to and can’t be moved. But… There’s a need. There’s an invitation. There’s an answer from God to the question I asked.
You ever encounter situations like this? We say we want to change the world. God gives an opening. But it’s…inconvenient. Uncomfortable. Doesn’t fit with our plans for the day. It made me think of this powerful video made by my friends John Hoel and Max Fitzgerald.
So we have to decide. Are we fools to think we can change the world or is it just too inconvenient? What do you think?
