For Jonathan's Sake

For Jonathan’s Sake is our outreach program to help families who have disabled children in the surrounding towns & villages around the mission to not only survive but thrive by providing them with the resources to provide for & take care of their disabled children. Most of these children come from single parent families because after they have a disabled child they are seen at fault for this disabled child…even cursed. Children with disabilities are looked down upon…seen as worthless, cursed, possessed…These children are often hid away, abandoned…FORGOTTEN…INVISIBLE. The mission of the Miriam Center is to make the INVISIBLE…VISIBLE through Christ, Children, Community.

“I will rescue the lame & gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise & honor in every land where they have been put to shame” Zephaniah 3:19
My heart continues to hurt as many BIG decisions & changes are having to be made to this program. The way it is running right now is not God-honoring or sustainable. We are called to do everything for the glory of God. This program has gotten big fast. 3 years ago we had 4 children and now over 80. It is hard to face the hard truth that there is no money to sustain this program…no food available to feed…and we are unable to be the face of Jesus to these families when we say 1 thing but are unable to provide. Is a change necessary…YES…Is change easy…NO.

How do you look at a program that started out with the vision that it would be a program that would provide food to each of these families for the entire week, provide educational play/therapy 1x per week, training for the parents to continue therapy & education at home, Bible study for the mothers, & a place where they could build community.

It was very hard to look at what we said we were going to provide & see that we have not been consistent in any of these areas over the past 3 years. Have we provided all these at some point over the last 3 years…YES! Some more than others BUT with no consistency...which I feel has broken trust with the families. God revealed to me that it is better to provide 1 or 2 areas consistently & be the face of Jesus than to try to provide all the areas & fail to be the face of Jesus. The Miriam Center team has felt called to relook at how FSJ runs…relook at our vision for this program. We have been deep in prayer about where God is calling us to take this program. Would we eventually love to be able to provide everything listed above…YES! BUT right now that is not possible.

So the question then became where do we start? SPONSORSHIP... All the programs at NWHCM run off of sponsorship & we realized this is a huge piece we have been missing. This next week we will be sitting down with each FSJ family & gathering all the information we need to make sponsorship packets for each child. There is something quite beautiful about sponsorship…not only does it provide financially for that child to receive care & the message of Christ shared with them & their family BUT it also opens doors for relationships to be formed. Someone else called by God takes a step of faith & obedience to God’s call…sacrifices financially so that one of these children who has been INVISIBLE to the world can become VISIBLE…that person becomes an advocate, prayer warrior, faithful partner to that child & their family. HOPE is restored…CHANGE begins…VISIBILITY happens. I am so excited to see these relationships begin to be built over the next few months. Also…please pray about whether sponsoring one of these children would be something God is asking you to do…maybe you can’t do $75 a month …maybe financially you cannot sponsor a child but you could become a prayer warrior for 1 or multiple of these children & their families. God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. One of my favorite songs & the song my blog is named after is Overflow…the lyrics are as follows…

As you call me near, I come
Drawn with holy fear and awe
Into heaven’s doors to see u as you are
You who formed the earth with your hands
Sun and moon shine at your command
Who can know the vastness of the Lord most high

Bridge 1
As I draw near I offer my life to my Jesus
Who fills me with mercy and grace
As I go out I will open my eyes and awaken
You will be a blessing through me

Chorus
You’re the overflow
The sustainer of my soul
Pouring out of me
Living water for the weary
Bless me so I might be a blessing
Heal me so I might bring healing
Cover me, so that I might be a covering
For you

Vs.2
Its because of you, I must go
Sent to tell the world and to show
Friend or enemy, the love I com to know
Where confusion reigns I will be peace
Where there are bondaged chains bring release
Where there are tears and pain, may I be the joy of the morning

Bridge 2
Heal me with your love o Lord, pour out till I overflow (4x)

”Defend the cause of the weak & fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor & oppressed.” Ps. 82:3
What do we do until the children get sponsored?...How else do we need to change the program to make it sustainable & God honoring?...What changes need to be made now even if they are temporary?... We are still praying & discerning God on this. We have ideas of where God is leading but they involve some hard steps & choices to be made now. Please continue to pray for wisdom & guidance for all involved. Pray that we could hear clearly God’s voice & know His will. Pray we could see His vision for this program…that we could trust Him & His plans.

“My ways are not your ways declares the LORD…Neither are my thoughts your thoughts.”

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21