Sarah Bell's Blog
Extreme Neighbors / Nov 12, 01:21 PM
So, last night I indulged in my weekly catharsis. It goes by the name of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I’m a glutton for punishment when it comes to this show. Watching families who have had to endure hardship and heartbreak, disappointment and hopelessness go away on vacation and come back to a brand new amazingly beautiful house. I literally cry at least once per episode.
There are times when I struggle with the value that the show puts on material possessions – furnishing each home with thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of furniture, electronics, decorations, and appliances. I know that these families will still struggle with their problems of ill health, grief, abandonment, and the like but there is something nice about seeing their reaction when that big bus moves out of their way to reveal the house that they could only dream of before Ty and the gang showed up. And sometimes there is that sense that this white savior has come in to scoop the downtrodden out of the menial existence.
But putting all of that aside (it’s a lot to dismiss, I know), last night’s episode was remarkable. It took place in Camden, NJ and highlighted a single father raising 5 teenage boys. The dad had had 2 heart attacks and could no longer work. Their rental was in horrible shape: broken windows, bad plumbing, no heat, no beds (not even mattresses) and an empty refrigerator. Yet this family was strong, loving, compassionate, and generous.
Because they lived in a rental apartment the builders had to find a plot of land to construct the home and what happened next was incredible. The wonderful neighbors at Urban Promise stepped in and donated a corner lot to the family. Now this family in the depths of poverty will own their own piece of land! And the goodness of Urban Promise continued. They donated two rooms in one of their office buildings to the group Single Fathers of Camden which was stared by the father in this episode. The rooms were transformed into a meeting space for this group of men dedicated to their children and a playroom for kids.
This episode made me so proud to be a part of Mission Year, proud to be a part of an organization that partners with other long standing organizations like Urban Promise to show Christ’s love in difficult neighborhoods. Though ABC and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition may not have given God the glory for the provisions I know that serving the Lord was the motivation behind the donated land and office space. Urban Promise was mentioned so many times that I am sure viewers from around the country have since Googled them drawing even more attention to the Kingdom of God.
And to think…none of that would have been possible if Bruce Main and Urban Promise wouldn’t have followed Jesus’ lead to love God by loving people in the city of Camden. Because of their faithfulness to God and their neighbors they were able to let the outpouring of God’s love flow over onto this family of men.
What a blessing to be used by God in both small and large ways.
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