As Next Step sinks deeper into the Colorado Springs community, I’m seeing trust being built among relationships. Homeowners, organizations and their volunteers, and even the random other ministries I meet with or sit down for a cup of coffee with seem to have developed a new level of trust with us. They are seeing that Next Step isn’t going anywhere. It’s one thing to say we will be here, and it’s another to actually continue to follow through with it. In a culture where I’ve come to believe ‘talk is cheap’, I think that everyone involved in the Colorado Springs community that is aware of Next Step ministries is seeing that we are actually, here to stay. There is a ton of need here and I pray that ultimately the community is able to internally generate more than enough resources to sustain itself. I’m happy as well, to see Next Step’s commitment to the Colorado Springs community and to get to be a part of it.
So, what am I getting at here? I’ve seen in my short life-span that we all too often pray only when it gets rough. And I don’t know about you, but I think I need an alarm clock on my life-consuming phone to remind me to pray. I don’t want the bad news, poor circumstances, or a trial to become the ‘alarm’ into me praying and talking with God.
Let’s continue to really pray over Next Step in Colorado Springs. What I’m saying is, things are really good, not perfect but that’s ok (perfect is weird anyways). Now that we’re here and here to stay within the Springs’ community it’s easy to become content with where we are and quit praying, praising, and thanking God for what’s happened and and forget to come to him with the hopeful expectation of what is to come. Let’s be excited for the future and pray over what’s going on right now that will affect the community and all of us later on.
There are so many things within Next Step being here in Colorado Springs that never end up in a blog. It never ends up in weekly update or the newsletters during the summer. And I think that’s more of what prayer is about. At times it feels like talking into the air and even pointless, really. But there is something happening in a spiritual place that we have no idea about. We can’t see it, we can’t touch it, but things are getting organized and orchestrated that is rooting Next Step in the Colorado Springs community even more.
Pray that Next Step connects with more homeowners.
Pray we see long term fruit from a relationship with our host church.
Pray for a strong community night that would happen once a week in the evenings during the summer.
Pray Next Step is able and can make an impact for transitional housing.
Pray needs are being met through kindness and people are then cared for by the love of Jesus.