Tip of the Iceberg

Encounters from Get Real

God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will become real if we will only have patience.

Quote taken from My Utmost for His Highest Devotional

It is so funny when we, mere humans, think we have God figured out. I mean, we really do. We think we know exactly the road God is taking and so many times try to jump ahead and lead Him. That is what I am saying. Presently, I am not preaching to the choir, I am preaching to me, too. My mind has tried to wrap around God’s thoughts and understand them. My mind has tried to wrap around God’s plans and vision and understand them. My self has tried to hurry God up to meet my desires. My self has tried to move God faster than He had planned.

In 2001, Get Real was born. It all started with the first rally. It was evident that God was there. It was evident that He did not want things to stop with that single night.
Here we are in 2008 and He is still moving. 2001, however, was an interesting year. God was speaking to *two country girls* and showing us things that He desired for the future. We could feel it in our bones. It was just after the rally in ’01 when we felt the need to have a place of our own: A place to hold events for young people and all people. We even went to look at a place that was for sale. In reality, what was happening is that God was birthing a vision on the inside of us. God had to put enough desire and vision on the inside of us to keep us moving ahead. Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)18Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

Without vision in your life, chances are you are spinning in a circle. Chances are you are bored. Chances could be that you are hung up doing something that is not even what God called you to do. With vision there is a constant need to move ahead….move forward….find Him in the places He is walking.

In 2005, God began to renew on the inside of us His plans. It was not a surprise but it was placed in the forefront of our minds and rooted deeply inside our hearts: We need a place to hold events. We began sharing our hearts with people. We shared it in the newsletter, in emails and in every way we could. There had to be land or a place for Get Real. 2005 closed and there was nothing. 2006 started and there was still nothing. We were walking through the valley following the Shepherd and He continually dropped crumbs of bread to keep us with our face toward Him. 2006 came-no land again but significant things were happening to keep us moving ahead. 2007-nothing. There were many times we could have really went out on a limb and got ourselves into messes. Places were for sale but God never said to move any further.
2008. January 1, 2008 was a remarkable day. Most of the day was spent with the Lord refining our vision. He was showing us what we *needed* and it was somewhat different that our original intentions but it was 100% right on. We began sharing with others just how He had changed our vision. There was a verse that was so evident, too.
NOW faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I had heard that all my life, I guess, but it really took on a new meaning this time. It was like God was placing the emphasis on NOW. NOW FAITH. What did He mean?
A short time later we ran into a man in (Get Real Favorite) Cracker Barrel. He wanted to talk to us. We met a short time later. At our meeting it was shared with us that the gentleman across the 4 lane from the Get Real office had 300-400 acres with a facility that he desired to be used for ministry.
…………………………………………………………………………

Let that sink in.

Across the road. (I am pausing as I write this because it is so real.)
Use of the facility across the road? There is a log cabin. There is a huge building. There are baseball fields. There is a lake.
Everything that had ever crossed our minds is located on that property and this person says ‘use it’. How could that be? It has been 7 years. It is that simple? We thought we were going to have to build something. We thought we would need land. We though we would………

NO. (Pausing again)

For those of you who read this: be encouraged.
Suddenly, everything we had dreamed about was just across the road and there waiting on us.
Why didn’t God do this in 2001? 2002? 2003? 2004? 2005? 2006? 2007?
Go back to the top of this email and read the quote.

We were not ready nor was God. We were not capable of handling His plans. He knew that. He took us through dreaming, hoping, shaping, battering and readying us for what He had planned.
Be encouraged. Dream. This is not just a Get Real story-this is what (in one way or another) God desires to do in all of our lives.

A wise man once said:“FAITH is believing in advance something that is logical when seen in reverse.”
I think we have just tipped the iceberg of what He desires to do.

Into The Night

The humidity of the night was like a blanket covering every inch of your soul. Sweltering. Even though the stinging heat of the sun was gone, the traces of the day were everywhere. And the sweat poured. The most recent moments of our journey had been encompassed with settling in under the tower that helped provide power to the city of New Orleans. A tall one it was. High above our heads. The team had set out what seemingly small amounts of supplies we had under the big tower on a concrete slab. It was not the normal way we liked to do things, but given the situation and circumstances before us, it would have to work. A line formed. Each person carrying what little they could in their hands and holding onto their just handed out plate of food lined up to hopefully acquire some of the things we had brought. Socks. Hygiene kits. Bibles. Snack Packs. Simple, but appreciated.

Flashback to 2005. In the days before Hurricane Katrina this is where we stood. Time after time we went to the wall. The wall is not a *place* per se. It is an actual levy that borders near the Mississippi River. Gravel, broken glass, flattened boxes, sand. It was all there. So were the people. The opportunities afforded us next to that wall are ones that will be burned into our souls forever. Ministry. Relationships. It was all happening right there in their territory. Home for the night for some. Then, the unthinkable happened and blew all of those faces out of town. Some we will never know again. Windows of opportunity opened for just a moment of time. Now here we were again in the same location, in the same sand, gravel and broken glass. A brand new crop of people. Faces with names. Dirty and seemingly hopeless. New windows of opportunity. New Orleans. Time to seize the moments before us in the sweltering night.

Everyone was hanging out doing their jobs. Talking. Praying. Some faces were familiar because we had met them earlier in the year under the 1-10 bridge but they are not there anymore. They have been cleaned out of that spot. Here they were, however, before us--- and a lot of them there were. Perhaps 200 or more. Some were talkative. Some of their faces were bent down with despair, helplessness, hopelessness. It isn’t that we can change their circumstances but we can offer the Jesus on the inside of us to wash over them shining hope on dark hearts of despair.

The night progressed and some of us found ourselves huddled together in discussion of the disparity of life on the street when we looked over to see a body lying on the ground. It never moved. Black t-shirt, pants, shoes. The two of us began discussing the oddity of the situation at hand. Soon we progressed to stand beside the body. Breathing? Yes. Moving? No. With our bodies bent down and eyes fixed on this person--- young woman---someone’s daughter---- we began discussing the situation at hand. Should we touch her? Not sure. Questions rolled through our heads and out our mouths. What to do? What is wrong? Soon we assembled ourselves together with a flashlight in hand to hopefully give us answers. A check of the pulse brought a peace-of-mind that she was alive and not near death. We took the risk to shake her. No response. Shook her again. Nothing. And again. Still nothing. She was out completely.

Then came the harsh reality of the entire night: this young girl with a beating heart, with sweaty skin, with a mother and father was under the influence of hard drugs. A tear fell from my eyes. And then another.

There she lay and no one could get her out of it. One of the newly met friends knew everything that was happening. He turned around to the group that had gathered and warned them of the pitfalls of life and that here was one example before us. “This is where this kind of lifestyle will lead you! Listen to me! If she is not helped here tonight this girl will be raped while she is lying here! Listen!” His words echoed through the heads of everyone standing.
We progressed further. We shook her. We got a wet cloth to try and arouse her. We kept on. Finally Kelly speaking loudly told her to GET UP and progressed to sit the girl up from her position. Her eyes began to open. GET UP! Those words began to take effect. Her eyes opened further. Here we were. Total strangers trying to help a total stranger. Someone had to do it or her life could be jeopardized this night.

She did. She woke up. She opened her eyes. She stood up.

Then she walked away.

There is more, right?

She accepted Jesus right there, right?

She walked away. Into the night she walked away and away she went. Back to those who had just left her lying on the ground. Back to the reason she was there to begin with. Probably.

Why are you writing this? You are probably asking that at this point. This is not a ‘chalk one up’ for you story. No points here.
This is a sobering moment to understand the power of satan and the choices that he lures us to make. He is real and he hates us all.
This is a moment to realize that there are those who are out there that need us. They need love from a God that is real.

God forbid they walk away into the night.