Detroit Trip and God's Calling

Golden Coral chocolate covered everything!! :) 

Hayven finally had her appetite back after a week of being sick.

This was at what my dad and Raina call the "Ghetto Mall". We LOVED it here!!

Our trip seemed to go quick, but we felt like we visited a third world country and came back again. Detroit seems like it should not even be part of the US! The only thing I can relate it to is the poor parts of Egypt or some other Islam ran country.

But, my husband and I talked about a lot of things that the Lord taught us on this trip that I wanted to touch on:

(1) If God has told you to do something, even if it makes no sense, do it. It makes no sense to me that if God has given you a call and a vision, why people think they need to do so many things to "prepare themselves" to do it. If God says, "Go to Detroit and plant a church", why waste time going to Seminary? Getting a Bible degree? Getting fundraising? Buying a building? 

Now, DON'T GET ME WRONG!!! Sometimes God calls people to do these things to prepare, but THEY ARE NOT NECESSARY! God Equips! God Calls! God Ordains! God Anoints! You do not NEED man's approval, or title, or confirmation. 

Seriously, just pray, seek God, and obey what He says... it REALLY is that easy.

For those of you who don't know: like Abraham, my dad was called to just "go to Detroit." He bought a house out there (which they never ended up living in because it was... well... let's just say not livable) and ended up LITERATELY being homeless for a month with his pregnant wife and 16-year-old daughter. CRAZY?

He did not go to "Bible College", He does not have any manly financial support set up (except for one of his friends that wants to support him however he can), he doesn't have a "church building" or any "congregants"... but what he does have is God's calling and equipping.

(2) Our personal prayer life, time in the WOG, and life experience of applying His Word, as well as walking in obedience to Him is how God prepares us for His calling:

I look back over the things that God brought my dad through to get him to this point and how they have equipped him for what he is facing now:

• Basketball team in Minneapolis with youth kids: experience living in dangerous place, facing situations with gangs, drugs, alcohol, guns, crime ect.
• Living and doing maintenance at slums in Saint Paul: prepared to live in ANY crime-infested, bug-infested, rodant-infeted place as well as basic maintenance skills.
• Being at Calvary Chapel Saint Paul: Being trained up in ministry, being brought to full maturity in the Word of God.
• Moving to Upper-Peninsula of Michigan: Buying homes and buildings that seem "beyond repair", but making them into presentable, livable places as well as LOTS of lessons on how to and how NOT to lead a church and God's flock. Here his spiritual gifts were strengthened and practiced, and his prayer life with the Lord grew very strong. He also got married during this time.
• Being homeless for a month in the #1 most dangerous city in Detroit... in the winter... with his pregnant wife and daughter: he walked where the people walked and got a taste of their struggles. He gained experience and credentials that made him relatable.

And NOW: 

• He is living in the #1 most dangerous city in the US
• Living in a very poor, crime-riden neighborhood
• Starting relationships with people and ministering to them through the power of the Holy Spirit
• Preparing to clean and fix  building that will one day be used as a light in a dark place for Jesus!!

I am not so ignorant to not know that everyone's callings are different and God has different people in different places, but just as we have the examples in the Bible of the men of great faith, doing great works for the Lord and we learn from them, so can we take things like this and do the same.

I pray you are encouraged to simply

DO WHAT GOD TELLS YOU TO DO

even if it makes no sense

and watch Him be the one to do the providing, equipping, and miracles in your life.