These are words that God poured out of me yesterday, after chatting with friends on Facebook about how important safety is in finding a home. In that conversation, a friend also pointed me to Flower Patch Farmgirl, who “just happened” to write this amazing post about contentment that same day and it really grabbed my heart too.

We found a house. It is a great size. It is the newest house we looked at. It had all the amenities we were looking for. It did have a smell, but that can be easily remedied right? It even had an extra sized yard! We look around outside and wonder about the neighborhood. None of the other houses look like this one. You know the Sesame Street segment, which one is different? which one doesn’t belong? This house fit that perfectly.

We go home and think about all the great things this house has. Did I mention it is at a great price too? Yes, we are on a budget, in fact we are trying to lower our housing costs and finding a decent house in our price range has only shown us certain neighborhoods. 
The realtor said we should check out the neighborhood and crime before making any offers. So we did. The crime comes up in different colors on the map I bring up, and let me tell you this neighborhood is color FULL.

Does that make it a no deal? Does that mean we “good” people should stay away from “bad” neighborhoods?
After all, we do have kids that we want to keep safe, not to mention, I want to be safe too.

Safe. That’s an interesting word, isn’t it. I’ve lived in “safe” neighborhoods before. Maybe living in the “bad” neighborhood would be the safest place for me because HE is there or because that’s where He wants us?

A neighborhood won’t get better if we leave it to rot, if we avoid it, because of its rot and filth. Just like our hearts and our bodies, a neighborhood doesn’t get better over time, it takes some good, and it always takes God. And we need to exercise, to work, to do the hard things and put the good stuff in, because that good stuff in, overflows. God is bigger than the bad stuff. He already has the victory.

And since He has already won, what have I to fear, death? No. Death is the beginning of life everlasting! Pain and suffering? It is Promised! So do I dive in? Do I just say pain, suffering, death, here I am! Come and get me, because I have no fear. Jesus is near!

Prostitutes, Gangs, Thieves…
Yes those names scare me, but aren’t those the people of the Bible? The people we want to be like? Moses the murderer, David the murderer and adulterer, to have faith like Rahab the prostitute, Paul the leader of a gang!

Aren’t these the people that are searching for that one thing, that answer, the one question that I actually do have the answer for? Jesus. Aren’t they desperately searching in these “unsafe” neighborhoods?

But, what do I know, Lord, about helping city people? people from different cultures? and backgrounds. What does this rural girl, raised by christian parents, graduated from a christian school, homeschooling mom know about how to minister to “these” people?

Well, for one thing I don’t have to know, because He does. Remember I’m the weak one, the one who doesn’t know anything and that’s how He gets the glory!

And for another thing, I once was lost. That’s all these people are, is lost. There looking for a god to serve and need to be pointed to the God to serve.

So, I pray and ask God to guide my steps on this new adventure.