In the words of Vicki Doubroff, the women’s pastor at Cedar Grove Baptist, “I am blown away!” Calling upon the women in that ministry to gather and assemble precious care packages for women living on the street was a rich gift to me. Not only in the large number of packages that were put together with personal care items, such as soap, toothbrushes, band aids, candy… but in the way each person came together in fellowship to provide much-needed support for the NightShift outreach teams. Thank you to Bev Johnston, for highlighting some of what we witnessed that evening with these photos:
As the poster suggests, it takes many hands to make a good circle.
It was a beautiful evening, and on top of everything else, I had the opportunity of talking about The Shift and signing a few copies. Well, the very next day I was to receive the most beautiful piece of the night. With her permission, I am sharing Lisa’s words that really touched my heart:
I purchased your book last night at a Love Does event at Cedar Grove Baptist church. I told you that I would let you know what I thought. Little did I know I would be emailing you only halfway through the book! I had fallen away from God after struggling since moving here just a year ago. I found my faith tested, and I failed that test! I have found my spirit renewed after only reading half of the book! Look forward to the rest! I, like you, find myself judging people based on their outward appearance, God forgive me. I have always felt God calling me to work and minister with “them” and like you, I have always found a way not to answer. I am praying for forgiveness for my judgmental attitude. And I am praying for guidance on where God wants me to be and what he wants me to do. Thank you for pouring out your heart so that hardened hearts like mine can be softened through Gods work!
Later that day:
Finished the book in half a day! Wow! What a blessing! God surely has plans for NightShift! It just amazes me all the barricades the enemy put up and God supplied every need to overcome them every time! Shouldn’t surprise me, but it never ceases to amaze me what God will do to further his kingdom! God bless you and keep you!
God bless you and keep you, too.
MaryAnne Connor 
What a great outreach – it’s great when people come together for the purpose of blessing others in the name of Christ.
Blessings,
-Jen
http://thelilyandthemarrow.wordpress.com/
It is amazing how many people give of themselves every night of the year to help others who are struggling on our city’s streets and neighbourhoods. Many people can’t join our nightly outreach efforts due to full lives. But God does calls all of us to make a difference in our personal world – to be the ‘hands & feet’ of Jesus in some form everyday – coworkers, classmates, neighbours, bank tellers, etc. We can’t change the world alone, but together we can create a ‘shift’. He asks us to be a ‘change agent’, one heartbeat at a time, one step at a time, one person at a time, reaching our hearts out to the ONE that God places in our path every day. Often that’s simply a smile!