To god be the glory great things he has done! That’s what the old hymn says and it is so true!
Looking at the weather reports this past week, most would have thought it was improbable that we would not get wet on both set-up and event days but god had other plans for us that included not only dry skies and mild temperatures but a wonderful sense of his presence and peace those days.
Jacksonville has always been our smallest venue and although the attendance of 452 may sound disappointing to some, we have always said the expo is for those god brings. Plus by staying under 500 for our count, we are able to stay at lake Bethesda which is where we believe god wants the expo.
Maybe god wants to keep things this size to encourage a more personal connection. For the 1st time ever, I was able to spent almost a hour of one on one time helping a guy named Robert fish. Robert has CP and uses a wheelchair like me, he has a lot of spacticity which inhibits his arm and leg movement but his speech seems totally unaffected which is a bit unusual for someone with his level of cp. In any case, as we talked, I was struck by the depth and thoughtfulness of his questions and comments. He asked how long I’d been in ministry and even shared how he had been coming to the expo since 2012. What really blew me away was that he said he watched me every year at the outreach and was inspired by how i did not let things get to me. Someone coming to the expo every year and watching me. That’s pretty scary and sobering.
After the expo, I kept thinking about Robert. I thought about how he said he wanted to save up money to buy his own rod and reel, about how he had a mom and dad and about how someone as young and as bright as him was living in a group home. He seems to have a great heart and faith in Jesus and in turn, i know there is so much god wants to do for his kingdom through Robert. All in all it made me realize that not only is the need deep in Jacksonville but the church could so benefit from having Robert and others with disabilities activity involved in the body of Christ locally.
You know no matter the event size, we all should know that god is making a difference in peoples lives through the expos but there is also so much more we could all do. This was probably the best expo in Jacksonville yet and i know that even greater things are in store for the ministry there so please join us in praying for god’s guidance and i hope you enjoy the photo collage of the day below.
Life Link 