Last week Naomi's Village celebrated 5 years of bringing hope and a future to children whose lives were once bleak and hopeless. 64 children now belong to a home that is full of love and care. To observe this memorable time and praise God for the work He is doing, there was a special Sunday service. It was wonderful to see and hear how God's mercy and goodness has been the guide each step of Naomi's amazing journey.

The service started with a time of praise and worship. You should hear these children singing praises to our Creator. It is probably my favorite time of the week! After about 30 minutes of this heart-felt worship, someone shared a verse from Psalms 115 that really set the stage for the rest of our time together. The verse reads, "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" There is simply no way to explain what has happened in this place these past five years except that God has brought redemption to 64 children because two people boldly said yes. They said yes not knowing all that the positive answer to God's call would mean, but knowing that they were to follow His lead.

As Bob recalled what the five acres of land that now houses Naomi's Village looked like the first time he and Julie saw it, this beautiful picture of redemption flooded my mind. Bob shared about when they drove up and stepped out for the first time to pray over this piece of land it was barren, dry, dead, and seemingly worthless. The only structure that stood on those five acres was a deserted house. Deserted because the two year old child of the family that lived in the house had fallen down the well, therefore they believed this ground was now cursed. Eleven years later it is developed, lively, full of life, and valuable. It is no longer deserted and believed to be cursed. It is no longer five acres with one structure, it has numerous buildings filled with life. It is now a home, a place to grow, a place to change the trajectory of one child at a time. A place where hope begins when a child belongs.

And is this not the gospel story right before my/our eyes. Jesus comes and takes the dead, the desolate and breathes His abundant life into it. Jesus comes and takes what seems barren, worthless, cursed, and makes something of beauty, value, supreme worth. He comes to us and says I will use your land if you will just give it to me. I will build something on it that brings me glory if you will sign this contract into my name. I plan to build a palace so that we can live together and love and serve and care for others. I plan to make your land a home, a place that will bring hope to others, a place where my Father can be glorified.

So just like there were many unexpected circumstances and events that came up in the building of Naomi's, there are painful occurrences, events as Jesus takes our acreage and makes it of something that He can use. There is plowing that must be done, leveling that takes place, a foundation to be laid, a construction that must get underway. This all takes time and patience as our Master Builder is making a glorious design. We must let Him put the walls were they go and the windows and doors in their respectful places. If we go trying to build what we don't have the blueprint for it will most likely have to be removed. Thus the pain we often feel and unnecessary heartaches we have to go through.

So today I want to choose to let Jesus have my land and work with him as he gives the orders. He is the Foreman of this crew and I must obey His commands.

"..'Which commandment is the most important of all?' Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Isreal: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 
Mark 12:28b-31