Community

‘Cause I don’t want to live like I don’t care.
I don’t want to say another empty prayer.
Oh, I refuse to
Sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself.
Oh, I could choose
Not to move but I refuse.


To stand and watch
The weary and lost
Cry out for help.
I refuse
To turn my back
And try and act like all is well.
I refuse
To stay unchanged,
To wait another day,
To die to myself.
I refuse
To make one more excuse. 
   This song is almost like a mission statement for me. It talks about things I want to refuse to. It talks about areas I need to change in. And it is a song that challenges me. 
  This song reminds me of the word community. What it means to me and what it should be to everyone. Community has been something I have thought about often in the last few weeks. To be fully truthful, I am saddened by how little my generation spends working to share the gospel in our separate communities. When my Dad died he left a beautiful legacy in our church. A legacy that showed me what it means to be active in our community. Because of Dad I have spent countless hours in retirement homes with elderly lonely people that need to be loved. I spent many Thanksgiving mornings dropping off meals for families that couldn't afford a turkey and side dishes. And because of Dad I learned what it meant to serve the church. It was a lesson that constantly reminds me that I need to be more of a servant and less selfish. 
   My Dad loved to work with a special organization that works in the central valley community to help provide for the needs of this community. And after he died they asked to talk about Dad on their air show. You can listen to that specific show here... http://lighthouselive.blogspot.com/2008/03/avc-servant-hearts.html
   There are so many areas of our communities that need us. Salvation army always can use help with providing for the homeless. This is an organization that is good to help because the people that they provide for are required to hear the word of God. If you have an advancing vibrant communities type of organization be active in that too! Think hard about ways you can provide for your community and how you can spread the gospel. Another great thing to be active in is helping your local Crisis pregnancy center and picketing your local planned parenthood. 
   Don't sit and read this and in the end go and never give this a second thought. God calls us to love our neighbors. So go out and "Just do it!" I am going to go out and live the legacy my father left. Come live that legacy with me.