Caring For Life!

My friend supports a charity called Caring For Life. Her enthusiasm and sharing of it’s early days wet my appetite to know more and to go with her and her husband to their open day.

It was an early start that Saturday morning, I wanted to stay in bed and sleep! 7am our journey began. I was so thankful for not having to drive. Our destination was a farm in Leeds where this charity was based. It was a long drive due to road works and diversions; however, we did get to have our favourite Costa coffee and toastie on route!

Sitting in the back of the car I had the opportunity to rest my eyes a little as I had time with my inward thoughts. Life was so busy and there were so many things vying for my attention, that it was so good to be a passenger with no other responsibility than to enjoy the trip.

We finally arrived around 11.30am. We were directed to park in a large field that had a wonderful view of rolling hills and green fields. There was a buzz of excitement as car upon car parked up. It wasn’t a long walk to the entrance, however there were small buggies, like golf carts that were laid on to transport people to the entrance point. We chose the buggy, mainly because we had four large sacks of potatoes that had been donated to them. It was a bumpy ride but nevertheless fun as my friend and I bumped around sitting in the tail facing backwards.

The potatoes were whisked away to the kitchens as our first stop was to greet my friend’s friend Judith who with her husband Peter ( he’s with the Lord now) started the ministry over 39 years ago!

A magnificent dream and vision that came from the heart of God to the heart of a man!

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 MSG

This Charity makes this statement:

Dignity For All

MAKING GOD'S LOVE VISIBLE AND TOUCHABLE

"We believe that all people are made in the image of God, so everyone deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, no matter what a person’s situation. We try to see those who come to us for care and support as people worthy of being helped, loved and respected.

Jesus’ compassion always led to action. Our compassionate care and ministry is the outworking of the faith we have in Him, making God’s love visible and touchable.

We pray that through what we do, people would meet Jesus here, and come to know His peace, His presence, His love, His saving power and the glorious joy of sins forgiven."

The day started with an introduction to the work that they do. It was given by their CEO Jonathan Parkinson, the son of the founder. His address was given with much humour, humility and great compassion for those he served, with such love and gratitude to Jesus. God was in every inch of that place! His presence could be felt in every nook and cranny! God’s love was radiated in those who worked there in whatever capacity they served. Their joy was tangible and contagious, there was a genuine unity, a family that loved and loved well!

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

John 13:35 NLT

It was hard to imagine what it would have looked like all those years ago. A seed planted in the heart of a man, with the help of a lady called Esther, who with God provoked him to action. She is still there today blessing them with her skills, even in retirement. The prayer, the faith, the toil and tears that it took to take that blueprint from God and make it into what it is today!

“Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. For these seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that see everywhere around the world.” Zechariah 4:10 TLB

Often we look at those big ministries that we so admire, the school of ministry they offer, the preaching, the worship, the outreaches, the books, TV channels, yet forget their often-humble beginnings! Some started in a back room, or on a dirt track. Every huge ministry often started from a dream, a word a seed from the heart of God that took root and was watered in prayer and faith.

“The sower sows the Word.

The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them.

And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy;

And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.

And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word;

Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.

And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much.” Mark 4:14-20 AMPC

God hasn’t stopped dreaming or planting seeds in the heart of man!

It’s not easy to be a pioneer. Pioneers go first; they forge the trail and gather others along the way. Late nights helping others, ploughing their own money, dealing with disappointments, setbacks and the doubts and unbelief of others, family and friends! Pioneers are often misunderstood, mocked and dismissed until the dream is accomplished. Then, people want to be part of the work and reap the benefits of others hard work. It costs to be part of a pioneering work. Scrubbing floors, cleaning toilets, helping with the kids, making the teas/coffees, missing meetings due to carparking duty is not as glamourous as serving on the ministry team! We are meant to be blessed so that we can be a blessing to others!

Jesus taught us how ministry should be:

“Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

John 13:17NLT

Each one of us is part of the family of God. His signature runs through our very DNA. It doesn’t matter if we are Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Charismatic, Penticostal, whatever label we wear, if we love Jesus, then we should love all those who are His regardless of where we attend church!

As we explored all the wonderful areas of caring that this charity had, heard the testimonies of rescued souls finding not only a safe place to grow and develop but a place where the genuine love of Jesus was shown. Written off people finding purpose and acceptance.

Each room that we entered whether the literacy or numeracy room, the art or music room, it was buzz with the love and enthusiasm of the Holy Spirit. The horticulture project, the equestrian project, all volunteers who gave their time to help prepare for Supporters Day! Their dedication made it possible to get the farm ready.

The icing on the cake for me was when over 500 people, supporters and visitors entered the barn for a thanksgiving service. Everything that was said, preached, shared and sung was giving thanks to God. It wasn’t rushed or watered down, Jesus was exalted and thanked for what he had provided, what he was providing and what he would be providing. Some sat, some stood, there were some raised hands, there was a sound that was going out of that farm that was touching the heart of the father. A sound that was being carried on the wind that was declaring, the enemy is a liar he’s defeated and that in this corner of the world on a farm in Leeds from humble beginnings was heaven invading earth!

No superstars, no major platforms, just a regular bunch of people, family, working together to bring transformation and the love of God to the whosoever!

“ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

1 Corinthians 12:21-27NLT

To be “successful” in life doesn’t mean to have the success of the world or it’s riches, though God has made provision for us to be blessed in every area of our lives. The word tells us:

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theatre, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Pray with Simplicity

“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for fifteen minutes of fame! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what’s best—

as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.” Matthew 6 MSG

Get your dream off the shelf, write out the vision, and if you don’t have a dream then love the one in front of you. Nothing escapes God! Leave a legacy of loving well, being kind, being generous with your time and substance. The only thing we can take to heaven with us are souls! As we love others well, who knows what we will accomplish.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,

for the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the broken-hearted

and to proclaim that captives will be released

and prisoners will be freed.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn

that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,

and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

To all who mourn in Israel]

he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks

that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” Isaiah 61

I came away from that open day so thankful to God for what he is creating in a corner of Leeds. The thrill that he plants a seed in the hearts of men and women to do what seems impossible. That seed is still producing a harvest, 30,60, 100 fold! Thankful for the people who had loved me back to life, for the joy of my salvation and the ability to walk in God’s love and give it away!

I am so blessed to be involved with people and ministries that have the same ethos as CFL. I am so thankful for them loving me back to life, for all their encouragement and seeing the gold in me.

Take a moment to thank God for those individuals and ministries, churches that saw something in you that you never saw and took the time to love and encourage you and to especially reveal the real Jesus to you!

Caring For Life is an Evangelical Charitable organization in England whose aim is to bring the Gospel message to lost, disadvantaged and vulnerable people through Christ centred practical love and long-term support.

They believe all men and women are made in the image of God & that all individuals should be treated with dignity & respect. Our aim is to RESCUE broken people, REBUILD a sense of purpose and RESTORE hope for the future. Most importantly our prayer is that people are brought into relationship with God through Jesus Christ as Lord.

If your faith needs stirring or you want to invest into what God is doing there, go visit them. Look them up on Google!

The beef burgers topped with onions and a brisket of beef are delicious! Just saying!

"Life is too short, the world is too big, and God's love it too great to live ordinary."

Christine Caine