August 2025 Reflections from Dave's Corner of the World

Some months ago, we had a physical altercation within one of the families that help manage this ministry.  I found that, through the ever so healthy grapevine, word got out very quickly.  I was impressed, and thought that if we could only model our prayer chains with such motivation, efficiency and speed, we’d see amazing results.  In truth, I was not offended.  As I thought about it, I felt the Lord was actually giving us an opportunity to witness His beauty.  As with any situation like this, there were those who wanted to spread talk for bad, and there were those who called to see how we were doing and to share encouragement.

As I pondered this incident and the calls I was receiving as a result of it, I concluded that I was not as surprised that it happened as much as I was surprised that it was the first such incident in years!  Given the nature of the ministry we have, there is great potential for problems, as our clientele have typically experienced a challenging beginning to their lives.  However, there is a different culture and environment at A Ray of Hope; we are very focused on the Lord, which tends to shift the hearts and focus around our properties.  That said, my focus is not on a fight that occurred, but on the fights that haven’t occurred over the years, and on the reconciliation that occurred after this fight.  Sadly, those who gossip and fuel the strife tend to miss out on the beauty of reconciliation that occurs afterwards.  Our lives should not be measured by our mistakes, but through the eyes and heart of our Savior, in our surrender to Him and the forgiveness we find in Him.  Perfection is a noble goal, but pursuit pleases our Savior.  He knows His children will fall, and He is gracious to pick us up, dust us off and encourage us down the path in the right direction.

Years ago, I was Director of Missions at a missions-oriented church in Flagstaff, Arizona.  We worked with over forty missionaries, and you’d be surprised at the challenges that occur, even among missionaries who are considered the more mature within the church.  I worked with a fellow mission’s deacon, and we had a standing joke between us.   It was her responsibility to get them into the field, and it was my responsibility to keep them there.  Statistics show that a large percentage of missionaries leave the field because they don’t get along with each other.  My experience agrees with this statistic.  Sad, but true.

I spent most of my time focused on conflict-resolution, from every sector and every angle.  I came to the conclusion that almost every conflict had the same pattern.  These missionaries felt God had given them a vision or direction for them to go and, when others would “get in the way” of their perceived vision, trouble would erupt and, interestingly enough, by the time I became involved to help, many didn’t even remember how the problems started.  They were so offended at how they were treated as their relationship soured that this became their focus.  These situations really showed me that God is far more concerned about how we walk out the process, and that we must trust Him completely with the conclusions.  If someone “gets in the way”, God’s aware, so seek and trust the Lord and love your neighbor along every path the Lord gives you.  God is glorified when we walk His walk in the trials, and God is glorified as we surrender our will and trust Him for the conclusions.  It’s hard to keep our hands off of things, isn’t it?

So what I shared on these phone calls I received was probably the opposite of what many were expecting.  I think we should not be shocked that this happened, but we should be praising the Lord that this type of news hasn’t come out of the shelter in years.  On top of that, those involved have experienced a sweet reconciliation.  Like mission’s work, Christian shelter ministry works with people who are in all stages of healing.  I’m not just talking about those who we are reaching out to, I’m talking about those who are doing the reaching out.  I feel my job is to shepherd the shepherds (and the guests).  If I can help our shepherds stand on solid ground, in helping others, I will have considered my efforts very successful. 

All of our managers arrived here in need, found or re-committed themselves to the Lord, and have a love for those in need.  As we help others process their hurts, we ourselves should always be processing our own.  It’s never ending isn’t it?  So, I’m thankful, not for the altercation, but for the opportunity to help bring about reconciliation.  2Co 5:18-19, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”  (underline added).  Our Lord is beautiful!  As my plumber used to say, “We don’t have a problem, we have an opportunity for resolution.”  How true: we can learn from our Lord and sow to the Spirit, even when, and especially when, others are struggling.  This is the heart of Jesus.

To me the question is not, did we have a problem, but have we brought about resolution?  Our problems can be opportunities.  This role seems to have followed me from the mission’s field into the shelter field. Hmm, God’s thinking things through!  This is what our Lord does, this is what we must do.  I feel the task was as important to change the hearts of some of those on the grapevine, as it was of the original combatants.  Bad things can happen, but goodness takes effort, an effort that is worth investing in, and an effort that then becomes the current focus of our ministry.  The conclusion will be right when the process is priority.  That’s the way the Lord does it!

Joh 17:21-22  “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:” 

The more that we are one with Him, the more we will be one with each other!  Can’t fight over that (though some will try)!  Amen?  Amen!  Dave.