God's Field.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

Picture yourself standing in the middle of a small grass field surrounded by worn down apartments on almost every side. There are prostitutes turning tricks on the corner. The smell of marijuana is overwhelming at times when the wind slightly blows. In the midst of poverty a blacked out Mercedes drives slowly down the street seemingly a drug dealer…

Now picture a white van driving up to this field. People get out and start putting orange fencing up around this field. Speakers are set up and some LeCrae starts playing. Tables are set up with food, water, and arts & crafts. Two guys set up a soccer goal, while others start throwing footballs. Another group of people start rounding up children from the surrounding apartments to come play. After a couple hours the children sit down and start hearing about Jesus. Light comes into this very dark place.

This is what happens every Saturday in South Dallas. As I had the privilege of serving there with Solomon’s Porch this weekend I got chills when my friend Heather told me that the prostitutes and drug dealers have stopped working the corners around this field because they now see it as "God’s field and a place for the children".

As I chatted with Lowston a 16 year old and watched a 15 year old stud of an athlete named Mitchell throw the football around I couldn’t help but think "it’s just not fair that they have to live here and be around all this". Life just isn’t fair.

I loved when David Marvin said, "What is fair though? We do not have a standard of what fair is. If we have fallen short of His standard (perfection) we don’t want what’s fair. We want MERCY. Fair says you mess up, YOU pay. Jesus says you mess up, I’LL PAY. Here’s the problem: You don’t think you’re ungodly. We compare ourselves to others and think, 'well, I’m not as bad as him/her.'"

What made me smile as I stood there taking it all in was thinking about how Jesus came to save me, Lowston, Mitchell, and even the drug dealers and prostitutes.

I couldn’t look at myself as any better than anyone out there. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. We don’t have to travel to another country to share the GOOD NEWS that while we are still sinners, CHRIST died for us! Just drive a few minutes south of Dallas and you’ll see a whole different world...or maybe just chat with someone around you...we are ALL in need of MERCY.

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