Have you ever seen cotton fields white for harvest?
I was in Alabama 2 months ago during harvest time. It is quite a sight to see row after row of pure white cotton ripe for opportunity. It made an impression upon me.
I was in Alabama again today. We saw huge bales of white cotton over 7 foot tall in diameter. Someone had been busy harvesting.
Abandoned Fields - White for Harvest
Yet I saw a field that no one cared to harvest, with cotton still in the hull. We saw wind-blown cotton, like small piles of soon-to-be-melted-snow along the side of the road, left overs that were deemed unworthy of the effort to collect.
There is a church in Alabama that takes the harvest very seriously. The church was organized, motivated, worked tirelessly and gave sacrificially. Why? The fields are white for harvest. This church had a vision to reach the overlooked and impoverished population of families their community.
Shop with a Hero
The event was called "Shop with a Hero". Each child (accompanied by a parent) came to the church. They listened to a message of hope through Christ, got on buses and went to Target. Each child received a $109.00 gift card to buy anything they wanted and needed. The $9 was to cover the tax.
Dozens of school districts were able to select the students to attend. One school had been allotted 15 opportunities to bring 15 kids. The brought 20. The principal told the pastor, "These kids are the most at risk homeless kids we have." Apparently there are those who are homeless and some that are "worse homeless". These kids were the worse homeless.
I shared the message of salvation through Jesus Christ via the "ministry of chemistry". Two shows. Two roomfuls of very challenging situations. The fields were white for harvest.
Simple Reflections:
- The strong odor of a campfire was on a young boy who came up on the stage. I later learned this young child was homeless and sat by a campfire.
- The school district is over 99% free and reduced lunch. The school provides 3 meals a day during the week and holds Saturday lunch - otherwise kids would go hungry over the weekend. A young boy actually fainted at Target from low nourishment. Literally, he fainted at Target today.
- The city has rallied around this church. The Mayor. High ranking officials in the military. Business owners who have no real affinity for Jesus or His church. People want to be part of a movement. Someone just needs to move first.
- The church raised over $60,000 in one Sunday to provide for 600 kids.
I hate seeing waste. I hated seeing overlooked remnants of cotton sitting by the road side and some still forgotten in the field. This church cared about fields white for harvest.
