I am a little chagrined at how long it has been since I have posted on my blog.  It just goes to show how life can put a road-block in things.  But this morning I had some solitude and I also had a project to work on for a friend.  I was able to self-reflect on why I wanted to become a part of something unique and special.

It’s funny how people come into your life at just the right moment. One minute you are finding yourself struggling with change and the next you have this wonderful individual sitting across from you at your local coffee house, sharing about life and relating to similar circumstances. I met Raelenna Ferguson at a point in my life when there needed to be a change in myself. Approaching 40, I was really beginning to feel the desire to give more of myself, to focus on deeper relationships with people, and to make a positive impact on the world for my two children. I just didn’t know where or how to do it. My church is huge on overseas mission trips, but I felt that just wasn’t the right fit for me at this point in my life. My children are young and although the tug on my heart was growing, I just didn’t think God was pointing me in this particular direction. Little did I know He would soon gently lead me in the direction He wanted for my life.

A random morning in Starbuck’s not only sparked the beginning of a wonderful friendship, but it was also God opening a door for me to become a part of something bigger than myself. That opportunity was One City. When Raelenna began to speak about her vision for this organization I knew I wanted to be a part. It had everything I was looking for in my heart; growing the community we lived in, developing relationships with people I would most likely never cross paths with, and helping lift people up by simply believing in them. Over the next several months, the more I heard about One City from Raelenna and her husband Jeremy, the bigger the pounding in my heart and soul became. So when I was asked to be a member of the board, I knew the answer. Prayerful considerations and talks at home with my family ended with a phone call to Raelenna telling her I was all in.

Fast-forward almost two years and now One City is a physical reality. There is a building, and a solid plan that focuses on job training, enriching children with the arts, and creating a safe place for people of all socio-economic backgrounds to come together and share this crazy thing we call life. Being a member of this board not only integrates me with some amazing people who bring a tremendous amount of integrity to One City as an organization, it is going to expose me to another aspect of life I never knew existed right here in Cape Girardeau. It will make me get out of the comfort zone I have lived in for 38 years. It will offer my family an opportunity to get immersed in new cultures and meet people we probably would never run across in our daily routines. This depth of personal and spiritual growth is why I wanted to be involved in One City. It was the change I needed in life to offer opportunities to people from all walks of life. But what I would soon discover is how I am changed by what I am learning and experiencing from my involvement with One City. My heart is softened and my eyes opened to the reality that God changes us simply through relationships.

Sometimes I feel we can miss the forest for the trees when it comes to volunteering and finding ways to grow as a person. We can easily stay caught up in the materialistic aspects of life and society. Sometimes it takes a person or an idea to make us be still and listen to what our hearts are trying to tell us. I challenge you to find that inner voice and see where it can take you. See what kind of impact you can have on the world around you, especially your immediate environment. One City is a great way to do this, to find yourself a part of something bigger, to make a difference in someone’s life and have them make a difference in yours. We are all spiritual beings in a materialistic world, and what we do with this one life is up to us. So come join us, in whatever capacity you can, to shake things up and make a difference in the world together.

“I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that He will guide me to do whatever I’m supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I’m praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.”

– Mother Teresa