If you ever find yourself sitting at the Kitchen table at The Sparrow’s Nest, look through the front window. You will see the front yard. When the house was first purchased, a group of volunteers planted a row of little hedge bushes. They have since grown about 2-3 feet taller. While that doesn’t seem like a great deal of growth, they sure make a presence. They have shaped their environment and created a natural boundary.
I have been able to watch from the kitchen window as these shrubs grew. They are a constant evidence of growth. Not just a reassuring notion to my own personal or physical growth, but that just by being present The Sparrow’s Nest has made a presence. It has shaped the environment and created a boundary for defining and offering services to pregnant and parenting teen moms.
Can you think of something similar? Something that grows rapidly and shakes your world in a very short amount of time. How about pregnancy! How about the moment of conception to the moment of birth? How about the relationship you build as a teaching and learning coach at The Sparrow’s Nest. The moment you decide to commit to a relationship that will see many quick changes, but will leave a lasting impression.
Field Notes can be tricky. They are intended to be a recording of observable truths. Things only you may pick up on or learn that others may not see right off the bat. They are tricky because while you may try your hardest to find some complex and logical explanation for things, most often the results are much simpler.
I don’t think it was a coincidence God placed this ministry on a wooded plot of land. He often presses himself through the beauty around this home. There is no ignoring the fact these bushes have grown. There is no turning away or declining their presence.
There is no ignoring the fact that resident mothers are planted in an environment prepped for growth. There is no turning away or declining their presence.
The calling is simple. You can sit at the table, and watch the growth. Or, you can walk outside and tend to it. The nature of this ministry is rooting in Christ, growth, value. Maybe you were there when these bushes were planted. Maybe you have sat at the kitchen table. Maybe not. Maybe it’s time to make your presence known.