6.29.17
“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back to when we have been separated from Him.” 2 Samuel 14:14
Today was our third day to do door-to-door outreaches with SMI. A preconceived notion that I personally had before the program started was that the gospel would not be present the neighborhoods we were working in. That the Lord would need to use the 2017 SMI team to bring the gospel message to North Philadelphia alongside a vast number of medical screens. One thing that I have quickly learned, however, is that the gospel is very much present in North Philadelphia. I have met so many people through conversations sparked by medical screens that find an abundance of hope in the Lord and who have a strong faith that the Lord’s purposes are sovereign in their lives and neighborhoods. In listening to stories over the past few days, I have recognized this truth offered in 2nd Samuel. Often in life, people get complacent in their relationship with God. They feel as if they have enough of God figured out, and can get totally blind-sided by the results of forgetting to live in union with God. This is a theme that I have personally experienced in my own journey and one that I have heard multiple times over the past few days. Most people recognize a God exists, and most of the people I have met in North Philadelphia and talked with about their spiritual health have stated that they have been in and out of relationships with God and feel encouraged to pursue the Lord again. It has been inspiring to see the beauty of God utilizing simple medical screens to open doors for conversation, and I have been greatly encouraged by the idea that God would use our SMI team to “bring people back to Him.”
Alex Pilkinton
SMI 2017