Early in December, Steadfast190 was asked to help provide 120 backpacks for the homeless at River of Grace Ministries, a homeless mission in Tampa. We were really excited to help with this project. River of Grace and the homeless there are special to us. We were even more excited to offer the opportunity for our friends, family and others who know us to get involved with helping this worthy ministry. Early in the formation of Steadfast190, we realized that our call was to motivate Christians to act as Christ commanded in Matthew 25:34-40. So many believers are “Sunday Christians”. They go to church on Sunday, but they don’t get involved, serve, read God’s word or pray. They do not have the real relationship with God that would change their lives and the lives of those around them. We believe that others are led to Christ through the actions of true believers who are seeking to serve God. I had written a new Christmas song about the real meaning of Christmas, and we decided to record it and release it for download on digstation.com for $.99. The whole sales price would go to provide these backpacks for the homeless. We did a professional email detailing our whole plan, asking that people join with us to help the homeless at River of Grace. It would take them less than a dollar and five minutes to download the song. We sent the email to our churches, our friends, our family, and our myspace friends. Over 1,000 people received news of the song directly from us. Articles in both The St Pete Times and Tampa Tribune were written about the song and the need at River of Grace. The Tampa Tribune alone has a circulation of over 100,000 daily. Of all those people, 35 people downloaded the song to help the homeless…only 35. Several people called me after the newspaper articles and said they were going to mail donations. They never did. One lady even said that she had been driving by River of Grace every day for three years and they had been on her heart. She was so glad someone was helping them and planned to send a donation for the backpacks. She never did.
I think that woman heard God calling her to help. I believe others did, too. Maybe she didn’t take care of it right away and life got busy and she forgot about it. Has that happened to you? Maybe she thought, “These people are taking care of it. I’ll help next time.” Maybe all our family and friends were busy and thought, “I don’t have time for this, but it won’t matter, lots of people will download it.” Whatever the reason, they all missed out on a blessing God had for them. The homeless at River of Grace got their backpacks. We did receive some donations, which we are very thankful for, and Steadfast190 paid for the rest. We didn’t have to do the song. We could have just bought the backpacks. But we wanted to give people a chance to be part of a community that was helping people who desperately need help.
At first I was really disappointed. But then I thought of the words to our Christmas song….Remember, don’t ever forget….God asked us to record the song. He knew how it would turn out. He wants us to remember our mission…to motivate Christians to be the Christians He knows we can be.
Blessings,
Debbie
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Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite you in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” The King will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”....
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