What does it look like to literally love your neighbor? God gave me the answer to this question on Monday afternoon. For our community time, all of the apprentices were split into groups of 3-4 and were sent out to the homes and neighborhoods that surround the Adventure’s office. Our task? Go door to door introducing ourselves, sharing about Adventure’s, and sharing encouragement and prayer with our neighbors. This wasn’t a completely foreign concept as all of us had done this to some degree while overseas. However, in the States, this is not considered normal at all!
Despite all of this, I was so excited! There’s something about walking into a conversation and just following God’s lead that is so amazing and life giving. Before leaving to head out, each team spent time praying over the houses we would visit and asking the Lord for words, encouragement, and insight into the lives of the people we would meet. I ended up writing three notes. We decided as a team not to share the words we had gotten with each other but rather to go out and let the Holy Spirit lead.
As we went from house to house, we met several amazing people but towards the end, we started to get nothing but echoing doorbells and barking dogs. We had 10 minutes left in our outreach time and decided to try one more house. The door was opened by a middle-aged woman who looked much older than she actually was. She was tired and worn and had this heaviness about her. We shared about ourselves and why we were there. The more we talked, the more alive she became. She talked about her life and the hardships she has been through. I watched her eyes as she was talking and the sadness and hurt that filled them was overwhelming. I had so much love for this woman whom I had never met and I know that for those 15 minutes, God allowed me to see through His eyes.
We chatted for awhile longer and then asked if we could pray over her. She gripped my hand as a girl on my team prayed over her and Jesus started to show me His love and plan for this precious woman. After praying for her, all three of us reached forward to hand her one of the notes we had written. We looked at each other with surprise and then knowing excitement as we realized God had given us all a very similar word for this woman. Each of our letters had to do with God fighting for our new friend and bringing her out of guilt and shame and into fullness in Him. As she took our notes, she started to cry as she explained that she was on the verge of giving up because she believed there was nobody around to fight for her.
This is the God I serve!! A God who brings three unknowing people from three different states to a door step in Gainesville, Georgia for 15 minutes just to share His love with one of His hurt and exhausted daughters! Wow!
What would it look like to live a life with open hearts before the Father? To live a life where we love and encourage and feel beyond our family and immediate friend group? You don’t have to go overseas to see God move! All it takes is being open to His voice and following His lead. You never know which door He will take you too.
