Moving with GRACE

Howdy ya'll.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you.

So last night began my training at HOPE Pregnancy Center began.  Out of fifteen volunteer trainees, there are two guys.  The contact I have made at HOPE, a paid staff member, told me that the training began at 6:00PM last night and that I did not need to fill out an application beforehand.  Both of those statements proved to be erroneous.  I showed up at a time that I thought was early but was, in fact, 45 minutes late.  Ryan spoke to the Manager, Bren, who he described as a "stickler for doing things by the book."  It looked like my opportunity at HOPE would not be coming to fruition after all.

Thanks to Ryan, my contact, explaining the situation and vouching for me, I was able to join the rest of the trainees.  And I truly am thankful, because from only three hours of watching videos and some discussion I am already certain that working as a volunteer counsel will be exceptionally challenging and fulfilling for me.  God moves towards the poor and peripheral people in this world, and I want to move with Him.  The Proverbs say that I "must defend those who are helpless and have no hope."  And this volunteer opportunity will put me in position to do just that.

Am I nervous?  Sure; I'm helping people through a situation that I have never experienced.  But I am also confident in the training and experience that I am being given.  I am confident that I am a good communicator of my compassion, which in some cases will be the most important thing to the poor-spirited clients that come through our door.

I can't wait to see the healing power of the Lord at work in ways that will defy logic or science.  He has already shown His Grace to me through the flexibility of HOPE to let me volunteer even though I did not do everything "by the book."  And I will keep that humility close to heart, because I know it will be a blessing to anyone with whom I will come into contact.

Do good by those around you today, and do it without expecting repayment.  That kind of selflessness is the most powerful human agent of change in this world.

Shalom