This past weekend my kids and I trekked north to Atlanta to attend and serve at the Blood:Water Mission table at the Jars of Clay benefit concert. Kendall was in the car before I could say go because Family Force Five was also playing at the concert. Colby is always up for an adventure, so he was a willing participate as well. I knew we would have a great weekend, but a couple of other events took place as well that I did not anticipate.
Colby and I had worked a BWM table before, but with this event being a "benefit" solely for BWM, it was a bit different. We got the opportunity to meet some really special and selfless people. Michael, Jena, and Jake from the BWM staff were amazing in their focus on not just the purpose of the evening, but on the people present. I found them all to be very genuine and passionate about making a difference. With ten + years on all of them, my heart is encouraged that the upcoming generations are taking their callings very seriously, and this world is seeing positive changes that people need to hear about because of their faithfulness to serve.
I also got to spend some time with the other volunteers: Jason, April, and Erik. Jason and I actually lived in the same town at one point and have many mutual friends. He and his wife April are huge supporters of Jars and BWM. Erik was a volunteer that has done bicycle rides across the U.S. promoting BWM and garnering support. He shared some unbelievable stories of what he has witnessed God doing through BWM.
And then the people attending the concert...So many who had never heard of BWM, so many who were stirred to give, some who want to go to Africa to serve, some who were beyond generous. The crowd was small, much smaller than I expected. But once again, I was reminded that God doesn't need numbers. He just uses the faithful. Person after person generously opened their hearts and their gifts grew - gender, age, race - it didn't matter, they just gave. Early on during the event as Jenna was praying, I prayed silently for God to move on people's hearts to give and to multiply whatever was given abundantly. I have had prayers answered before, but this one unfolded before my eyes. When God moves on a person's heart, and they respond in obedience, it's a powerful confirmation of faith.
If you are not connected into a place of giving or service outside your local church, BWM is a great place to begin. Providing clean water to Africans in dire need is simply humanitarian. It's a basic expression of love. How many water bottles do we go through in a day without a thought? Can you imagine not having bathroom facilities in 2014? This is a reality for many in Africa. For $1 you can provide an African with clean water for a year! As BWM partners with grassroots organizations already working in Africa, efforts are strengthened. My ladies' class has adopted this as our class ministry for the next year. Since March we have been able to provide 200 Africans with clean water for a year - just by giving a few dollars each week as a group and for some this is sacrificial giving.
BWM has a informative website and blog with amazing updates and stories of the people serving and also of the people receiving.
You don't have to change the entire world - just be faithful to serve and give where called - and allow God to do the math and multiply your gifts.
