There’s always a story…

Lately I find myself learning a lot. Honestly that should be the norm with all of us, because if we’re not learning, we’re not growing, a truth we forget at times. I think what I am going through now is another phase maturing. Although it truly pains me to say it, I am getting older. No, i did not say I’m old, just getting older (i must qualify that for my own psyche).

What i’ve been learning lately is there’s always a story. Whenever we encounter someone who is hard to deal with, an out of control child, a person who seems to be dependent on another person, a person who regularly irritates others, someone who seems to always be in trouble, or even a family member who drives us crazy with their immaturity. Maybe even a person who writes huge run on sentences like the one you just read.

Whatever the case there is always a story. I think we should be aware of the story. We need the background before we can truly relate to someone. Now, I say this not to excuse wrong behavior. Not at all, but I say this for perspectives sake. We to quickly judge without knowing the situation. We rush to form an opinion without thinking it through. Maybe its because or society has become so politicized that we can’t think of peoples personal lives, but rather, where they fit on the continuum of our political spectrum and agenda.

lets not forget every person has their own story. If we know the story, then we can have the right perspective to relate to them and maybe even help. In ministry of course we’ve worked with all ages, all races, both genders, and even some confused about their gender, or their sexuality, the very poor and the very rich, and everyone in between.

When we see certain things, many times it speeds us to judgement, to opinion, to criticize, but how can we help if we don’t understand. I want to encourage you before you judge develop a relationship and hear the story, because if you do, you won’t end up judging at all, you will end up caring, being compassionate, and helping that person. You will realize they are not just the other side of a political agenda, or a moral standard, they are a person whose gone through some stuff.

I can’t begin to share all the stories. When working with foster kids and at times getting frustrated with behavior and then you hear the story, your frustration subsides and an overwhelming compassion and compulsion rises in you and says, “I will help this child!”

In working with people who seem to never be able to get over problems or obstacles, or addictions, you want to judge or be tired of it, but then you hear the story, and you realize my opinion matters little, but my love and action can make a change.

So, today, before we form our opinions of others, before we generalize and put everyone in the same box. Before we decide we know more than we really do, I implore you, listen to the story. You’re perspective will shift, and action will follow.

Am i say its ok to continue down a wrong road, or that people should be excused for wrong behavior because of their story? NO

But I’m also saying they can’t be helped effectively unless someone is willing to hear their story.

So what’s your story?

Thanks
David

Last Night…

Well the trip has come to a close. I can honestly say we have done all that we could to help the people of Cambodia on this short trip. We have laid a good foundation for future work and have further developed relationships with teams. I love my life, getting to share Jesus with people who so desperately need Him, and get to help people who have need.

Ended the night tonight with a debrief meeting with the team. We do this because I want to talk to them about returning to the states and re acclimating to the culture at home and not allowing reverse culture shock to set in.

We allowed everyone to share important moments to them, and to talk about how the trip made them feel and how they felt about the help we provided. As always it was a great meeting and good for perspective. This team was remarkable. They are resilient, flexible, positive, team players, great attitudes, a real joy to lead.

I am sorry that I haven’t been able to get up as many blogs as I would have liked due to poor internet connection and in some cases none at all, there will be more video and written blogs to come when I get home. Here are some things that the team said.

Some said they sensed the real responsibility to carry the vision of bringing justice to the world because of what they have seen. They vowed I will not forget.

Some said they were impressed by the leaders here and that there is hope because of the all out commitment to Christ that they have. They said that one leader told them that all the things we have done are such an encouragement because it makes them know that they are not forgotten and they don’t feel like the are in this all alone.

One said she was just so thankful for being able to come on the trip and sees it as a destiny move for her. God has opened her eyes to the need around her.

Others said, the have a revelation how simple it is to meet need if you just have a mind to do it.

One said it is so powerful how much compassion God has and how he provides for the orphans through Christians and the church. She said I have seen God use teams here and our team to provide the needs of widows and orphans, she sees how God works and what the church is really all about.

One said “I have never seen anything like the things we have encountered on this trip and it opens your eyes to our responsibility to use our blessings wisely and to be grateful for what we have been given.

Others comment were things like, “I have more compassion,” also “I see Hope.”

There was much more and these are just a few paraphrased comments. Truth is the experience is life changing, for us and the people we are helping. I’m glad God lets us be a part of helping others. Its awesome.

David

Royal Treatment

America’s orphans are Foster Kids. The bible says in James, that True religion is helping the widows and orphans. If we want to really be doing ministry it must include widows and orphans.

There are two reasons why a kid would be in foster care. Either they have been severely neglected or abused. Abuse could include physical, emotional, sexual, or mental. Neglect, could be not taking care of basic needs for your child or forcing the child to care for themselves and their siblings. We have seen some horrific situations. Although many times it is very necessary to remove a child from their home, but even that event is so traumatic, that many times the child thinks they have done something wrong, and thats why they are being removed.

How do we minister to these kids, who are in such desperate need of acceptance, love, and compassion. Many Foster Kids have no idea when there real birthday is. Many have clothes that have just been handed down several times. Many have lost all sense of the family construct. Many have been moved around so many times that they are behind in school. I once encountered a foster kid, who was in 10th grade and had been in 12 different school in his life time. You can imagine how this would effect him.

So how do we reach these kids, how do we connect with them. We have a big Christmas party for them and get them presents. We have the camp that is happening right now. its Royal Family Kids Camp. It is a camp that is based on Treating these kids like Royalty.

Many don’t know when their birthday is or have never had a b-day cake. So we throw them a giant birthday party, give each of them a cake and birthday presents.

many of the girls struggle with self esteem so we give them etiquette classes and put on a big Gala Dinner. Its called Princess Party. Each girl is dressed in a donated formal, they get a tiara, and they are announced as they come in the room, and they are escorted by a male counselor dressed in a suit and tie. Then they eat a really nice dinner and desert, and then they are told the story of Esther. She was a foster Kid, she was beautiful inside and out, and although she had bad circumstances God used her as a great leader just as he would like to use each of them. The point is they are very special to God and they need to know that. So the night is a beautiful night reinforcing to them how truly special they are.

We throw a big bonfire and trail story for the Boys. they love it and we end the night with smores.

The week is filled with so much fun, swimming, horse back riding, great chapel services, and so much more. Its just a way of showing them that they are loved, accepted and cared for.

Truthfully they are royalty, their Gods kids and He loves them, and with all these efforts that is what we are trying to get across to them. God loves them, and is there for them.

Its a great program, its a great opportunity, and it really does make a difference in the life of each camper.

So when you get a chance, do something nice for a foster Kid, for a foster parent, or for a dhs worker. Do something to help these kids that just need someone to look after them.

Thanks
David

Mother…

What could I say, that hasn’t been said a million times about mothers. I have a terrific mother. She’s not perfect but she loves her kids dearly and wants the best for them. She has always been good to us, and cared for us, and served us. All of our lives. I have a terrific mother in law who is the same with her kids, and thank God has accepted me as one of her own. I have friends who are moms, and it is a unique role to be a mom.

Lets face it moms do more than we can really say. It would be impossible to document a job description for a mother. It would be thousands of books long.

I have seen so many great examples of good mothers, oh I know there are some out there that aren’t so good, but for the most part moms are just a special breed.

The best mom I know however, and I say this without reservation, is my wife. Janae Is a great mom. There is really not much that she’s not good at, but being a mom is definitely at the top of her list of talents. Why? Here are some reasons I think Janae is the best mom ever.

1. She cares. No, really, sincerely cares about our girls and every step of their lives are important to her. We have frequent conversations about how they are doing, and how she can help them. She cares about their feelings, their physical health, their academics, their esteem, and what they care about.

2. She wants to understand. Many times I want them to understand me, but Janae has this ability to get to the middle of it, to hear what’s really being said. She has an empathy that goes far beyond compassion. She understands.

3. She laughs. She laughs at the girls, with the girls and makes the girls laugh. We laugh a lot at the Gadberry house. At life, at funny people, at ourselves, and at each other, and with each other. She loves to laugh.

4. She prays. Janae prays for our family and for our girls. She prays for their present, and their future. She prays for the best for them, for the favor of God on their lives, for them to make good decisions, and for God to direct their lives.

5. She talks. Janae has a tremendous wealth of wisdom. she has a practical common sense approach to life, that is grounded in the truth, and she shares those principles with her girls.

6. She models. She’s a teacher, a very gifted and talented teacher, who takes these motherly qualities and puts them to work in her second grade class and she gets tremendous results. My girls can look at her and see godliness, kindness, strength, courage, faith, hard work, smart decisions, and a normal person who loves life.

So, you can probably read this and say this was a self indulgent attempt to brag on my wife, well ok, your probably right but every bit of it is true, and If i was going to tell any young woman how to learn to be a mother, I would simply say, watch Janae, do what she does and you will raise children, who will rise up and call you blessed!

Happy Mothers day all you great mothers out there. We love you and thank you for all that you do, and have done, and will do!

A revolution of Service

I have been so proud of our team over the last two days.  Yesterday we were finishing up our seven days of Servolution.  Our project was to help with the CARE program at the MWC police department.  Our team started gathering early and preparing to go in and help.  Something happen that changed everything.  A fire started in MWC and spread over a significant area of MWC and Choctaw.  We know now that 49 people were injured, and 50 houses were a total loss with others being badly damaged and still others with smoke damage.

The police told us with everyone being called in, there would be no way we could do the project we had planned, they suggested we go over the the community center and see if there was something we could do there.  At the same time, the leader of this project and one of our other guys in the church called and said why don’t we turn our servolution project into helping the evacuees, of which there were hundreds.  So I stopped and picked up a lot of supplies told our team who were already in their “serve team” shirts to head to the community center and start setting up supplies.  We called on other serve teams to join us, and just set up and started helping people.

Giving out water, and food, and toys for the kids.  We started thinking, “who could we partner with?”  So we called starbucks and they supplied coffee and Hot chocolate.  Krispy Kreme provided donuts.  There were pets so a vet brought dog and cat food and treats.  People just started showing up and giving us hot food, to pass out, people in the community started coming in and saying where can I serve.

We worked with the Red Cross, what Great People they are and an incredible organization.  There were also folks there from the Southern Baptist Disaster relief organization, incredible servants everyone.   I must say that the MWC community leaders, the city council, the police, and firemen, The officials, and the leaders of the community center, Were so sharp.  This city and its leaders have their act together.  The sherriffs, the city manager, so many people and organizations working together to help others.  We were so blessed just to be part.

There were so many churches sheltering people and helping people, our friends the Burchetts at Eastpointe brought their people together today and really helped the people who have so much damage and loss and the public servants working so hard as well.

So there are some things I learned.

1.  Don’t set back and call leaders in the fray and ask them what you can do to help, they don’t have time to figure it out for you and at the moment don’t know what to tell you.  Just get into the fray with them, and start serving.  This is the best thing you can do.  The church is not an outsider in the community it is a part of the community.

2.  Partner, Partner, Partner….You have connections others don’t have and they have connections you don’t have.

3.  Realize that people want to help.

4.  Wear matching shirts so you can be easily identified and people can come to you for help.

5.   Help the kids, if they can be connected with it gives their parents a chance to think, and rest a minute.

6.  Be open to jump in and do what you can without hesitation, be willing to say yes, when needed.

7.  Your team will give over and above, and people will always rise to the occasion.

8.  Always be thinking about the next step.

9.  Serve the servants.  First responders put it all on the line, and have no time to stop and take care of themselves, so serve them as well as the victims of the disaster.

This was really a great way to solidify a servolution culture in our team.

I invite you to join the party and embrace what our friend Dino Rizzo Cause a “Servolution!”

Servolution Day 5…Acting like Jesus

Yesterday Morning, it was freezing! Very little wind, but a great time to serve the college students of our community. We took 8-10 volunteers and a ton of food. Pop Tarts, granola bars, G2, bottled water, Starbucks coffee, and we set up two stations so when students were on their way to class they could pick up a quick breakfast free.

It was so fun to do this. We had a lot of great interactions. It is such a blessing to watch the response of people when you just serve them with no catch. When you want no donations, your not making some kind of presentation, you’re not trying to get them into something, you are just serving them and giving them stuff for free, it blows them away.

Wasn’t long before word got a around and students, teachers, were coming from all over the campus to get some food and beverages. I heard them talking, and everyone was thanking us and asking us why we were doing this. Some people in the administration want us to come back.

The same thing happened today, when we created hospitality for families waiting in the surgical waiting room at the local hospital. So many times when you see people who are stressed and anxious you want to help, but you don’t know what to say, or do. The one thing we could do was serve them. I talked to the chaplain of the hospital, and he said that when we serve them and give food to them, it gives them a moments peace, and gives them a feeling of hope.

Last two days have been great.

When we serve people, when we care enough to do something for them just to be a blessing in their lives, then we are acting like Jesus.

We have had many partners in these projects and are looking for more. We know that if we can get together with others we can truly make a difference in our world!

Servolution….Day 4

This morning about 9 am a group of volunteers from our MWC campus went down to the local DHS office, where there are about 110 employees.  DHS employess have a very high stress job, they are looked at negatively by so many.  There job is hard most of the time.  Its very easy to get burned out, and the turn over rate is very high.  We know that one of the reasons for burn out, is the feeling that we are not appreciated.  We thought, “how can we serve them.”  We decided we just wanted them to know how much we appreciate them.  So we took food and drinks and filled their break room with all kinds of things for them.  Then we made each of them a goodie bag for themselves, it had home made desserts in each with a thank you card that told them how much we appreciated what they did for the community.

They were so grateful for what we did, one lady responded by going back to her office and writing us a thank you note, here is what it said…

“Dear Thoughtful Ones,

Before I dive into these delicious treats that you have provided us, I wanted to thank all of you for being so thoughtful.  I have worked this job for over 18 years and this is the first I’ve seen a church come in and show us such love and appreciation.  Thanks for all you do in the service of the Lord.  Your kindness has not gone unrecognized.”

So many great people serve our cities, our states, and our nation in roles of service with very little appreciation.  We need to let them know how much we appreciate what they do for all of us.

I spoke to a leader in our DHS the other day, and she said she felt like what she was doing was a calling.  She said most of the people who work in this field, at least the people who last in this field fill that way.  Lets help them stay encouraged and keep up the good work they do.

David

Day 2 and 3 Servolution….Personal Impact

Saturday and Sunday on harvest MWC Campus our projects were an absolutely no cost car wash, and an outreach to “Manor Care” a local nursing home facility.

we have had a good number of volunteers in all our projects. The car wash was Fun and interesting. People would pull in we would give them a couple of gifts, a bottle of water, and a car wax product and applicators, then we would wash their car. It was amazing to me, how many people wanted to give us money, and when we said no, it was as if they couldn’t grasp what we were doing. They really were having a hard time understanding this totally free, no agenda car wash. Once they got it they were really appreciative, wanted to know where we were from, and why we were doing this.

It shocked me at the response, and to be honest made me a little sad. I was sad because it is so foreign for someone to do something kind like this just to be kind, and not have an agenda or want something in return. It has really challenged all of us, to live our lives serving others, every day. Coming out of this, it will no longer be an event but a lifestyle.

We washed one lady’s car who lived in the neighborhood close to the wash, and her family were obviously impoverished, didn’t have a lot, but a few minutes after we had washed her car, her little son came walking up from their house, his hands full of change. He said “we wanted you to have this” If we had been raising money they had no clue what it was for, but were so moved by our generosity they were ready to give. Our youth pastor told the little guy, you take that money back to your mom, and tell her we just wanted to bless you guys.

I pray that the church becomes known in the community, not as the neediest, but as the most generous. Let the world know that Jesus Loves them, and his people stand ready to show it.

On Sunday we had great services and that afternoon we went to the nursing home. We took adults, teens, and children with us, and we sang songs, we gave out gifts and we just sat down and talked with these wonderful, beautiful elderly people. Honestly our hugs and hand shakes were the best thing we could have done. My girls, Sydney and Taylor set down and talked to a lady named Pauline. She was so sweet, obviously her memory was affected and she had a hard time putting thoughts together, so we just begin to tell her about ourselves, and she loved it, she loved my girls hugging her, and holding my hand. It was interesting watching my girls in this setting, they have so much love to give and i am glad to be teaching them that this is what Christians do, they show the love of Jesus in a practical way. My oldest has decided that after church on Sunday we should make it a regular journey to see Pauline, and my youngest just cried, visably moved at the loneliness of an elderly person in her situation.

Love goes farther than we can imagine, its a touch of sincerity, a hug that says, I don’t even know you, but I care, a heart that is overflowing with compassion, not even knowing what to do but to say, I love you.

What we are finding is serving people can be inconvenient, and serving people can be awkward, but serving people is the mandate on our lives and the expression of our faith, and the love of our Savior.

Our culture, our people, our families, and our lives are changing, I feel forever. We have always done things for the community on some level, we have branched out in the last few years locally and globally, but I feel we are moving to a whole new level of love, and compassion for people. A revolution means a complete turn. This has been a complete turn of serving. A Revolution of Service.

More to come….honoring and appreciating our Dept of human services employees today. They’ve already begin to thank us, and we haven’t even done it yet. Just the thought moved them.

Remember its not about what we are doing, its not about, how good we are, cause we all know better, its about one thing. Expressing the Love of Jesus to people in all walks of life. Thank you Jesus, it’s all about you.

David

1…2…3…Do the servolution with me

What a great concept. You have to love Dino Rizzo, Pastor of Healing Place in Baton Rouge, LA. This guy and his whole team are remarkable, and inspiring. They have become the personification of community involvement.

Harvest on all of its campuses, Okc, MWC, STW, EDM, check out www.harvestokc.com to find out more, are joining with Healing place and over 300 churches representing hundreds of thousands of people for 7 days of Servolution. The term Servolution was coined by Dino and is the name of his upcoming book. It means a revolution of service.

We believe that the church can speak about the love of Jesus, but then must also take the responsibility to share the love of Jesus in practical ways. Serving others, not for personal gain, not for what we get back, but just the opposite serve to show the love of Jesus. Isn’t this what Jesus did, when he walked the earth. He cared for people in practical ways, He brought solutions to problems, he was lead by compassion. We see it even in the last supper, when He, knowing that the disciples would run, knowing that Judas would betray Him, and Peter would deny Him.

He put a towel around his waste and filled a basin with water, and served them by washing their feet. He did this for two reasons one, for the act itself, two to be a model of what Christianity is all about, sharing His love by serving others. Dino said something that stirred me, Jesus reached us to reach past us.

If you are a part of harvest, don’t hesitate to get signed up for as many of these seven days of servolution events that you can. Lets show the world that no matter what is going on, there is hope because the love of Jesus is in us.

Do the servolution with Me

I have something to say

Check, check….testing 1,2,3…is this thing on? Everybody listen up….I have something to say.

Human trafficking is a plague on our globe, the trading of human lives, human beings especially children for abusive labor practices and the sex trade, forced prostitution.

I say this in this way, to get attention. Every year when I travel to different places i see this problem. Its brought on by poverty, by corruption, by greed. Whatever the reason is its an emergency that everyone do what they can to stop it. I have realized that it is so easy for us to see reports about this and hear stories about it, and be completely enraged, but then easily put it out of our mind. So this is me saying, wake up, listen, pay attention, don’t forget that right now, while you are free, there are children that are slaves of mean spirited pimps who farm them out to perverted people to do horrible sexually perverted and physically abusive things to them.

Be reminded that as you eat with your family tonight, that they have been yanked out of the bosom of their family to by isolated and abused. Just think when your kids lay in their clean beds tonight, they will sleep if they can, in filth and poverty and hunger, after they have been forced to sale their bodies any where from 10 to 40 times a day.

As you look at your teenager tonight remember that the average age for a girl in the sex trade today is 14

Check, check, is this thing on? So lets do what we can. What we are doing is partnering with organizations who are involved with rescuing efforts and with after care efforts. We also realize that children who are captive to human trafficking or usually victims of poverty, and have lost their family’s. So we are building orphanages, and we are working with medical clinics, and we are partnering with local churches and leaders to reach out and help these children, with food, clothing, medical care, ministry and education.

We can’t do everything, but we can do something, and what we will never do, is nothing.

Just a reminder, its something I’m very passionate about, and want people to take a moment to remember.

Thank you, and good night.

David