'I had no idea there was so much poverty'

Serving meals with our Love In Action Mobile Kitchen gives our friends an
opportunity to enjoy a good meal.

A woman said something profound Sunday morning at First Baptist Church (FBC) of Dothan as she shared about her experiences of volunteering at The Harbor Church.

"I had no idea there was so much poverty just a few blocks from our church. I had no clue." she said.

A youth's eyes were opened as well through volunteering at The Harbor. "It was an eye-opening experience for me," he said. "I just didn't know Dothan had parts of the city like that."

FBC held its annual "Missions Emphasis" day, and members of their church spoke about their experiences volunteering in Dothan and in other parts of the US and world. I joined Jeff Peacock of The Ark, Kody Kirchhoff of The Harbor and Melanie Deal of the Southeast Alabama Baptist Association to inform the members of FBC what our ministries do.

Most people who call Dothan home who don't live in the inner city are clueless to the poverty that exists downtown. Despite the media coverage over the years, many people are still surprised of the number of homeless people in Dothan.

Why is that? If you are like I was before God opened my eyes, I just put my blinders on and focused on myself and my little part of the world. Not in a mean kind of way. It's just how I lived. If it didn't affect me, I didn't really care.

A friend of mine who leads a homeless ministry with his wife in Memphis, Tenn., said the same thing. "I left my (dental) practice and drove through the inner city with my blinders on," he told me. "I drove to my nice home in the suburbs and didn't pay any attention to the homeless."

God took his blinders off, too. He ended up selling his dental practice and devoting his life to ministering to the homeless with his wife.

I certainly understand that decision. Martha left her medical career after 22 years, and I stepped down from a 22-year career in newspapers to dedicate our lives to reaching the homeless and impoverished here, nationally and around the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God doesn't call everyone to do that, but He does expect us to take care of the poor. He tells us throughout the Bible. Read Matthew 25:35-40. That's the scripture Love In Action is based upon. Read Proverbs 19:17, 1 John 3:17-18, Isaiah 58:6-7, and Luke 14:12-14. Those are just a handful of verses where God tells us to help those in need.

Come volunteer at Love in Action, The Harbor, and The Ark. You will see the homeless, the poverty, and the hurting. Allow your eyes to be opened to the needs of people who are hurting in our city. Help us not only meet their physical needs, but more importantly show our friends in the inner city the love of Jesus.

Offer smiles, hugs, and encouraging words. Be a mentor. Be a friend. As Pastor Matthew Barnett of the Los Angeles Dream Center said, "Once you put your feet in another man's shoes you will never be the same."

That sweet woman sharing her experiences at First Baptist yesterday will never be the same. Neither will that young man. I know mine and Martha's lives are forever changed for the better. Yours can be, too. Come join us. Come see how Jesus is working in the inner city of Dothan, and be His hands and feet to bring His love to the hurting.