What the World Could Look Like

This past week I had an experience unlike any other. I was given a glimpse into a world that showed no hate, crossed borders (and bridges), and a world that lent a helping hand. I was given a glimpse of what the world could look like if we all just loved like Christ did.

When the church leaves the building, it can be a scary thing for a community. You're probably picturing protestors on the side of the road, kids skipping school to hold signs they don’t understand the first thing about, and crowds descending on some random convention center. This was nothing like that.

Picture a church closing its doors, leaving in 5s, 10s or even 50s to go serve those in and outside of their neighborhoods. There were people strapping on work gloves, tearing apart foundations. There were people rocking babies to sleep while their moms began to learn English, trying to find freedom for the first time in their life. There were people putting thousands of meals together for families who needed them most. And then there were teams behind the scenes putting these opportunities together so people like me could have this opportunity.

My experience was different. Every single person who served had a different experience. That's the amazing thing about it. We all had our own eyes and our own hearts observing the wonder around us. But we all did it for one reason. We did it to remind the world that we're in this together. We serve because Jesus first served us. We serve because we love all of God's creation, even when it can be really hard.

My Experience

I started off the week looking on as friend after friend tackled amazing feats of service. I watched the Instagram stories, liked the pictures and counted down the hours.

And then Thursday rolled around and man was I nervous. I had never done something like that before. I was walking into a building where a majority of the people I would meet, did not speak my language. But I had a job to do! I was going to lead a team in loving kids.

Pshh that's easy. Don't I do that every weekend? Eh… it wasn't that easy. I jumped right in to an age group I knew nothing about. An age group that frankly does not trust easily. And I struggled. I had a crying baby for what felt like hours. But then! Then a teammate jumped in and said let me give you a break and I'll try with her.

Do you ever wish that that would happen in real life? Someone would just come up to you and say, "let me give you a break."? It was humbling. It reminded me that I can't do life on my own. I need people. People who believe the things I believe. People who love the God I love. And people who help when they see someone in need.

I ended my Thursday with a sleeping one month old, cradled on my chest. I never wanted to wash that fresh baby smell off of me.

Fast Forward to Sunday

Have you ever been in a place that just stops you in your tracks? Have you felt that childlike wonder recently? If not, I encourage you to visit Living the Word Church. Talk about a faith-filled, loving community. This church swung their doors wide open and welcomed every single person from across the river they could possibly fit into their building.

This church didn't just welcome us though. They embraced us. Literally! I love a good hug so I felt completely at home.

So what did this look like for me? Well, I had the opportunity to experience a different kind of kids ministry. One filled with kids who could quite literally take my job today and further the kingdom in ways that I can't even begin to fathom. I am so grateful to the team in Kingdom Kidz. The work they are doing is astounding, and it's changing lives.

And then came Big Church. Talk about a bring you to your knees moment. I'm still in awe of what I experienced. So much so, that I can't quite find the words.

But, I'll leave you with this. If each and every one of us were to get a little uncomfortable, reach a hand across the aisle and help someone who may be different than us what could the world look like? I'd like to think it would look like this past week. I'd like to think it would be a sweet reminder that God's not done yet. I'd like to think it could change everything.