Welcome home

Overgrown. Overtaken. Overwhelming. When people looked at the small house at 1429 Second Avenue that’s exactly what they saw. That’s what the neighbors saw. That’s even what I saw. The house stood overtaken and barely visible by a multiplicity of vines and shrubs. It seemed those shrubs and vines reclaimed more and more of the abandoned structure day by day. In the 1940s this bungalow was one of many that sprouted up in our city. Citizens embraced the sidewalk community life, and worked to make it their aim and goal. Couples lined the streets and sidewalks for beautiful afternoon walks. The neighborhood was an oasis for families that were finally making it in this world. That was its purpose. That was its design.

Somewhere along the way, however, the house became a little less attractive to renters and buyers as it fell nearly almost beyond repair. That’s where we found it. As Mission First began to seek God about what could happen with the house, we were equipped to purchase it through donated funds. In one week, through the work of a plethora of volunteers, the structure has been stripped to the bare bones. Only a skeleton of the former home remains, but as more work groups volunteer through our community development program, the house will once again be used for great things. This process, though it may be lengthy, only requires time, volunteers, a little money and a lot of heart. Ultimately, this home will be a completely new creation – changed from the inside out.

In the end, this is exactly where God usually finds our hearts and lives – overgrown, overtaken and overwhelming. We are human. We are fallen. We try to make it on our own. We think that our plans somehow might be better than His. Yet, we ultimately find that notion couldn’t be further from any form of reality. Nevertheless, God in His gentleness and power makes himself known to us in a way that is compelling and undeniable. As He comes in, He begins to clean us up. Removing the weeds and vines that closed off our hearts and minds to the Truth that we needed for so long.

Although He cleans us in an instant, the effects of our unyielding spirits for so many years still seem to fill our lives. We will still oftentimes feel the effects of our poor decisions to feed our insatiable desires in “life.” However, now we are new. Not some knock-off, makeshift update, but really new. Likewise, He is constantly there leading us, guiding us and renovating areas of our lives to look more like Him – whispering in our hearts and drawing us to Himself. And, unlike our extreme makeovers on this earth, His work is completely new. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away, and behold, the new has come.+” We don’t have to wonder and imagine what it is that He wants for us. That’s simple. He longs for His children to know Him. Intimately. And, He wants us to join in making Him known.

The next part might be a little harder to grasp, but it’s still real. He creates us unique -unlike anyone or anything else. “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.*” Once we have been met with this radical, God-sized, life transformation it’s time to do something with it. It’s time to get up and step out. It’s time to live this life for all that it was meant to be – every day, every hour, every minute, every second.

For many of you, that may be where Mission First comes into play. Regardless of your skill set, background, educational training or stage in life, there is a place at Mission First where you can plug in and use the transformation that God has made in your life to make Him known. Through six diverse and dynamic ministries you can live out what you were created for – loving God and loving others – by funding and/or serving in ministry.

For more information on how you can unite with Mission First Mission First contact our Administrative Offices at 601.714.6900 or lthigpen@missionfirst.org.

+ 2 Corinthians 5:17
* 1 Corinthians 12 (MESSAGE)