I saw a man today, his whole world across his back
A living monument opposed to my success
I tried to look into his eyes, as he shuffled past my car
Sweat beading on his skin, his clothes and hair a mess
As the light turned green and I pulled away, he slowly disappeared
Just a memory of another chance I failed to show your love here
I wanna love because You loved
I wanna give because You gave
I wanna reach my hand out to the lost
because I know Your hand will save
Only You can save
You can watch a video of the song here and you can read the full lyrics here.
Just a couple of songs later, the same station played Audio Adrenaline’s classic “Hands and Feet,” which expresses a similar theme:
An image flashed across my TV screen
Another broken heart comes into view
I saw the pain and I turned my back
Why can’t I do the things I want to?
I am willing yet I’m so afraid
You give me strength when I say
I want to be your hands
I want to be your feet
I’ll go where you send me
I’ll go where you send me
And I’ll try, yeah I’ll try
To touch the world like
You touched my life
And I’ll find my way
To be your hands
Most of you who know me have heard the story of how my dad, while working as a 15-year-old volunteer at the Juvenile Evaluation Center in Swannanoa, North Carolina, felt the Lord place a burden on his heart to start a ministry to kids from crisis family situations. Shortly after they met, Mom revealed to Dad that she had felt the same burden almost as long. (Shameless plug: You can read the whole story in Mom’s book, “A Place to Call Home,” available here.) Bottom line: They prayed for over twenty-one years that the Lord would open the door for them to start the children’s home they felt called to start. It wasn’t until Dad was in his second pastorate when, just as things were starting to get comfortable, God opened the door and said, “Go.”
Sometimes I’m reminded of another man of faith to whom the Lord said, “[Go] to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1, NKJV). In Abram’s case, he was told to leave his country; thankfully, our family only had to leave the state. Though Dad initially tried to start the Ranch while still remaining a pastor in Atlanta, as soon as he realized that wasn’t feasible, he left the pastorate and followed the Lord’s leading to Tennessee.
In the twenty years since, God has richly blessed my parents for their obedience. When God led them to adopt a sibling group from overseas -- two brothers and a sister -- they didn’t hesitate. Nor did they hesitate when the Lord told them to adopt my brother Preston. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve thanked God for my parents’ example.
When the Lord tells you to do something, will you trust and obey?
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