Its so crazy to believe that I've been in Topeka for nearly a month! It feels like it has been so much longer! Needless to say, I am blessed to be here. I am confident that God is working in me, and will work through me in ways I may never know during my stay in Kansas.
I have been going through a book with Jon, my discipler (is that a word?) and director of operations, called When Helping Hurts that has helped grow my knowledge of ministry, and helped me better understand why TMP does the work it does.
Today 1 John 3:16 really stuck out to me while I was reading. I'm sure you've heard it before as I have, but today it made me think about what I am doing to show love. It says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
I would encourage you to think through this as well. We have the greatest representation of love, in the greatest act of love ever shown. Jesus Christ left the glory and praise of heaven, to come to earth and suffer as we do, to let the very people he created mock him, accuse him, and kill him to bear the weight of our sin and shame towards him. This is love.
I have so many people in my life that I love, and genuinely care deeply for their well being. But what am I doing to sacrificially show love for them? Take it a step further; how can I sacrificially show love to my family? My parents? Even one step further; how do I show love to people who can't stand me? Or to Non Christians who constantly make jokes of my faith?
I do a terrible job of showing love sometimes, often when it means the most. But I invite you to pray with and for me, that we could become people who love until it hurts us, because we were loved the same way by Christ. The greatest way we can show the love of Christ is to lay down our lives and be useful to everyone around us. What a great testimony to the love we have received in Christ!
Another quick update: last night I visited Fellowship Bible Church as a volunteer youth leader, and was asked to lead a small group of 11th grade boys within the following weeks! Very excited about the opportunity to walk with these young men and they discover who they are in Christ, and grow together.
As I talked with Jon today, I realized that I need to be praying for faith. Even if I cannot see God doing amazing things right in front of my eyes, I need faith to trust that God is working, and that my time spent in Topeka will be worthwhile because I am serving Christ. I want it to be a joy to serve, and to love people in Kansas, so please be praying for grace in my life to make this possible.
I miss everyone in Florida dearly, thanks for your prayers and support.
John3:30
-Daniel
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