The Portland Rescue Mission

Lately I've been doing a "heart-check"...getting my priorities in line if you will. It's funny how struggle can bring clarity. In a time past the things I thought were important in God's Kingdom were flashy websites, movie clips and rocking music, as if somehow those things were required to help people see God. In recent past I saw the ugliness of those things and what a life can become when it is void of the true heart beat of God and began to understand that so much of my time and energy was wasted on things not valued by God.

I was hanging out at Multnomah Bible College at a ministry fair not too long ago (recruiting volunteers) when I happened to start up a conversation with the girl in the booth next to mine. She happen to work for the Portland Rescue Mission. I'd been searching for a way to start reconciling my reality with the things swirling around in my heart and mind and God opened the perfect door. She mentioned that the ministry was looking for someone to help head up their decorating team for their big holiday events. I just happen to LOVE decorating....especially for parties. Hmm...could God be giving me the opportunity I've been asking for? I tend to wait and chicken out when these things present themselves...I didn't, I just said yes.

Now having been in the process of better understanding the organization and what my role will be, I am even more convinced that God is at work. The heart beat of this ministry is beautifully aligned with the desires of God's heart to bring hope to the hopeless and to love those who can't even yet love themselves. Providing food, shelter, clean clothes, showers, laundry facilities, and a long term program that helps overcome addictions, emotional pain, gain education and career experience and so much more is only the beginning of the work the people involved in the mission are doing.

I believe that when Jesus says the end will come and we will be seperated on how we loved, this is what he means....and they do love, with everything they have to give.

It's an honor to be a part of something so beautiful. You can check out more about the mission and how you can help to by going to their website. www.portlandrescuemission.org