When Love Takes You In

What started as short-term hospitality has become a defining moment of our family purpose: to receive individuals into our lives one or two at a time, house them, mentor and advocate for them in our social systems, introduce them to Christ through gritty 2nd-mile love, and ultimately widen the embrace of our family-in-love.

Our present calling is Jake, Gabby, and their newborn Ella. Relatives of our daughter's new husband, they found themselves homeless just weeks before delivery. Marci and I had barely experienced a month of being almost-empty-nesters when we were asked if we could provide a place "just until the baby was born."

Life rarely works that way.

Because of generational issues with addiction, homelessness and foster care, DHS appeared at the hospital and a red tide rose upon this fragile family already treading water.

Within a few weeks, it was clear to me that we were being called to go much deeper than just providing a temporary roof. Court appearances, restrictions and requirements, programs and services, appointments and classes...this is a roll-up-your-sleeves, plan-on-less-sleep, put-date-night-on-hold and rethink-your-purpose assignment from God.

Because when love takes you in, it takes you in for good. At least, Divine love does...even when we were strangers, orphans, widows. How can we NOT reciprocate?

So we're in this for the long haul.

Jake & Gabby contribute to living and transportation expenses as they're able, and if my business were thriving we wouldn't even take that. But it's not, and the TIME needed to advocate for this precious little family understandably conflicts with pursuing new freelance work.

Then there's this nagging understanding that THIS is the work handed to us for this moment in time.

I had recently prayed, "Lord, what would you have me do?" then after a pause, "and how will you provide so I can do it?" Immediately the holy 2x4 struck.

My whole mindset had been, "Lord, if you'll help my business survive and thrive, I'll have the resources (money, time) to serve you." But my desperate plea had unwittingly been in God-honoring order: "I will serve Him; He will provide."

So when a ministry colleague from the past forwarded to me a message that linked to cause-based crowdfunding, I felt my own household's mission to be appropriate for this site.

I humbly seek funds that will keep us afloat while we minister with our very lives to Jake, Gabby & baby Ella until God connects me with new freelance work (graphic design & marketing communications)...or leads and provides for us to help other Jakes and Gabbys and Ellas on a bigger scale and full-time basis.

My company, for those of you who might know business owners or decision makers who could become new clients, is: www.AAPCreative.com