Are You Compelled?

I volunteer with a non-profit organization called Live Love here in Chandler, Arizona. Right now Live Love has me swamped and a bit overwhelmed (no…let’s be honest…WAY overwhelmed)! You see, October 24th will be our third annual Live Love Day and I am fervently praying for a day of success…a day of completing what the Lord has laid before us.



What we do is work with neighborhoods identified as being in need of practical help. We bring volunteers together from local businesses and Churches who work side-by-side with residents to restore beauty and dignity in the lives of these families. We paint homes, make minor repairs, clean, do landscaping, and try to make connections for the families with organizations who can help them meet their day to day needs. You can check us out at http://www.whatislivelove.com/.


This year we are working in three different neighborhoods and are expecting more than 500 volunteers. This is the first year I am leading my own neighborhood which is why the overwhelmed feeling has set in! You see….I’ve had this ongoing prayer for quite some time now. It’s a prayer that many people have…two of my favorite songs are even written about it, so folks, I know I am NOT alone in this prayer!


My prayer has been that God open my eyes to what He sees, to break my heart for the very things that break His heart, and then to fill me with the wisdom to complete His Work in the way He wants it completed.


Can I tell you how LOUDLY HE HAS RESPONDED? First, He allows me the blessing of being able to work in the very neighborhood from which I taught second graders prior to staying home with my boys. Second, because all but two of my families speak only Spanish, I have been the one to sit on their front porch, their kitchen table, or their living room sofa and talk for literally hours. In those hours of conversation God answered my prayer; for right there one afternoon, I truly felt my heart break in a way that only God could break it. It ached to the core for the desperation, the sadness, and the faces that were simply void of hope. These were people with stories of grief and misfortune. I couldn’t believe that right here in a very strong and thriving city like Chandler, Arizona, would there be people living in the conditions I witnessed. Because I taught here years before, I knew it wasn’t good, but now….now things were worse. Our failing economy was so evident and told such a tragic story…


Now? Now I ask you to pray with me that the Lord continues to answer me because I want to do His Work with excellence. I want… and so desperately need to be filled with His wisdom to guide a team of leaders and volunteers that will truly be His hands and feet. I pray for the whole day to reflect the love of a Father who never gives up and Who can restore the hope…restore the joy….and make a new story.


In Church (The Grove Bible Church in Gilbert, AZ www.thegrovebiblechurch.com/)yesterday we had a guest speaker, Tim Davis who is the President of E.L.I.C. The Grove is having a Serve the World Week and Tim opened the week with a moving message about caring enough and being “Compelled by our God of Boundless Mercy”…compelled enough to do what the Lord is asking? To make a difference?


Think about it…hold it still in your mind for a moment and then take the chance to let it run through your heart…are you compelled?


Here is a You Tube video that may help compel you…pay close attention to the lyrics. I’ll post them next time!