If the Lord Wills...

A new year brings hope of what may come and what may be accomplished. For the 23 years God has allowed Impact to serve in downtown Houston, we have developed ministries and traditions we expect will continue because of the lives they touch and the needs they serve. I believe it is good to expect great things from this year, and I also believe it is good to make plans for accomplishing great goals. However, James 4:13-15 keeps ringing in my ear. It says, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city.’…..Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow….Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” So, that is what we want to do: We want to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, Impact will continue to help the hungry, homeless, and hurting people every day that He gives us.” To be ready to do the Lord’s will, we are doing all we can to continue programs that we have seen benefit thousands of lives.

We continue praying that He guides us in continuing ministries, and blesses us in our special events. We will also invite you to participate in those plans and ask you to pray for how He wants you to partner with us. We will do these things if God allows, because we believe it is His will that we keep serving in the inner-city. If the Lord wills, children will be loved by your children. If the Lord wills, hungry families and homeless people will be helped through our efforts. If the Lord wills, generous hearts will continue to provide in the name of Christ. If the Lord wills, the lives that are touched will be changed forever because of the reflection of Jesus shown to them. Some may think it pointless to plan and dream for so much to be accomplished in a broken world, but our hope for 2010 is to serve the will of God every day that He affords us… “if the Lord wills.”

cover of January issue of Impact News, by Steven Wells for Impact Houston Church of Christ