A Cup Of Cold Water

It never ceases to amaze me, how God uses a life-altering event, whether through trauma, disaster or moral failure to accomplish His purpose, as the resulting testimony reaches people who might have never heard the power of God and the grace of the Cross at work in the lives and affairs of man.

People in my own life, who when I think about what they have gone through and how God has worked the miraculous; people in the lives of my friends whose stories are mind-boggling at the start; yet heart-warming in the end.

One such story is that of Hal Donaldson, Founder of Convoy of Hope. There are many organizations outside the church doing great work for the cause of Christ and the advancement of the Kingdom. While we must guard that such organizations don't take the place of the local church, those who understand their purpose and place in coming along-side to aid in the mission of the church-at-large can have and in fact, do have, incredible, eternal impact.

Donaldson's parents were in a head-on collision when he and his siblings were young. Dad was killed, mom incapacitated for quite a while. Neighbors took them in that night, launching the sense that one day, having been in a place of incredible need, they would one day, help meet the incredible needs of others.

Disaster relief, feeding programs, helping churches in rural communities in America and more... Convoy of Hope is just one of many incredible, "along-side the church"  organizations meeting incredible needs. After 20 yrs, in 48 states, 113 countries and phenomenal amounts of food, resources and finances, Convoy is, indeed, missions-minded. Partnering with churches to extend their reach, beyond what they could accomplish on their own.   www.convoyofhope.org

Pray, this #missionsFriday, for organizations, such as Convoy and others, fulfilling a need within the body of Christ that extends the reach of the local church. Pray that through meeting physical needs, the doors will open to meeting spiritual, emotional and financial needs as well. Pray for creativity and wisdom as to how organizations can increase their impact, such as Convoy's partnering with rural churches (244 out of 250 of the consistently-ranked , poorest counties in America are rural). Pray for wisdom and guidance in their allocation and use of resources and finances; that they would be efficient, yet effective, maximizing their potential without minimizing the quality of their service.

Nobody thirsts for dirty, contaminated, nasty-tasting water, even if it is cold. Pure, refreshing, renewing, energizing water...for the body, mind and soul. Given in the name of Jesus Christ. The ice-breaker to sharing how God used one's life-altering event on earth to reach others experiencing the same, in order that the end result is a life-altering decision for eternity.

For His glory. In the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Thank you, for life-redeeming, life-sustaining, ever-lasting Water.

-PNC

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