Moving God's Way

​It has been an awesome time these last few months getting re-involved with the Across The Bridge Ministry and expanding our outreach into two great recovery houses. Looking out into the eyes of these folks you can see how they are searching for some hope and encouragement to live a better way.

What has surprised me the most is how open and receptive they are to learning about God. I see them Moving God's Way by the way they speak and retain some of the things we present. My thoughts are to plant seeds about the way God really is (merciful, loving, full of grace) and to help block out the weeds of their past that may have shown him otherwise. When I speak about Jesus they know who I am talking about and many have had prior spiritual experiences, but like the Apostle Paul, they keep doing things they shouldn't do and ask why?

We have had some incredibly emotional meetings, and we have bonded in many ways, all around moving forward in life not backward. Truth be told, most folks struggling with addiction are wonderful people who have just gone down the wrong path. We have done many bad things to ourselves and others, but the goal is to let the grace of God do its work and change our lives.

In the process of doing all of this, I have found myself Moving God's Way in such a new and refreshing way, mostly about me just paying more attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit pointing me in the right direction. Mostly about really putting myself in their shoes and understanding how to present the Good News in a way they would understand. And mostly about feeling totally blessed by these folks who light up like children when they pick up a chip or you remember their name or what they asked you to pray about.

This ministry is God's not mine, and there are so many wonderful people involved. But I must say that there is a mighty big smile on my face just watching God use us to reach into hearts and souls who need help.

And I always remember that set of eyes looking at me used to be mine, lost and looking for hope.