A Good Word Wednesday #50 PEOPLE 🏠 🛝 ⛪

A little bit of goodness in your mailbox today

Good Word of the Day: People

I found myself the past few days standing in the midst of hordes of people. I was part of the overflowing river of people making their way through the craziness of the Toronto airport. I was a spec in the blob of people shuffling into the stadium of a major league baseball game. I was in the swarm of people from all over the world merging our way to the observation wall to see this:

It did not disappoint. Niagara Falls, in all of her splendor, showing off with a brilliant rainbow. The power of the Falls and the promise contained in the arc of colors repeats the message of God’s unending love for all His people. It is His creation proudly proclaiming truth to all who stand there and soak in the majesty of it all.

Yet, the gathering of people that I was a part of last week that made the most impact on me, was the welcoming, loving family of believers that is called Fellowship Church Rouge Park. Part of their mission statement says, “We value making disciples of all the nations. We believe it to be the privilege of every Christ follower to proclaim the Gospel to every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.”

I was part of a mission team from my church that immersed ourselves into this community of Christ-followers for a few days in the Toronto area. The worship service on Sunday morning was home to people from Sri Lanka, India, Peru, Nigeria, Philippines, Canada, United States…. just to name a few. But we didn’t feel like strangers. We felt like family as we worshiped together in song, fellowship, reading and proclamation of God’s Word. It’s that feeling I’ve experienced multiple times in my journeys. I will share links to some of those experiences below. But it’s just a taste of what heaven will be like when people from every tribe, language and tongue become one family worshipping our one Savior when we get to heaven. What a day that will be. I hope you will join me there!

There were many experiences from my journey to Canada last week I’d love to tell you about, including the story of my pastor being scolded by a parking garage attendant when the prepaid parking card was inserted incorrectly into the exit machine. “You People!” grumbled the attendant, to which Pastor Bryan simply replied, “Yeah… I’m the worst.” You people became our theme for the week. Such appropriate words to describe all the people we intermingled with in the few days we were there. All of us made in God’s image. All people He loves.

And I’m happy to come home to my people — my hometown, my family, my church. Who are your people? Where do you feel most welcomed?

Wednesday in the Word

And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. (Rev. 5:9-10)

Share Your Good Words

Question(s) of the Week: Who are some of the people you’ve met on your journeys recently that have impacted you?

Good Unseen People

Photo: She Is Safe

The following excerpt is from a story that will be included in my upcoming book, Unseen People: Sharing Life and Light with Your Neighbors and the Nations. Click the link below to see the progress of the book.

So why do you want to go there?

Here’s the short answer — Because God is there. He’s always been there. And He called me to go. To the jungles and the cities of Bolivia. To the streets of Dhaka. To the Indonesian island you will never hear of. And to so many other places to meet fascinating people. I wouldn’t trade a bit of it.

Read the whole story: Why do you want to go there?

Good Words I Recommend

Good Blog: Journey Together

A Good Song/Video: Tribes

A Good Book: At Home in the World

Another Good Book: The Mission of God's People

NOTE: Please share with me some of your favorite blogs, songs and books. I’d love to know.

Some of the links above are associate links. That means, when you click and purchase, I receive a small percentage of that sale. Those funds, as well as funds from paid subscribers, supports my writing this piece each week. Thank you! I commit to forwarding a minimum of 10% to the amazing nonprofits: She Is Safe and The Red Cord. They help raise awareness of sex trafficking. They help prevent, rescue and restore victims to new life.

A Final Word

We went as a church mission team to encourage missionaries, to see God’s vision for how we partner and what our next steps could be. We did that, as well as pray for moms dressed in black hijabs in their community park. We interacted with families at a community event and distributed lots of information about an upcoming camp for children. We ate food from Afghanistan, India and Italy. And we met people from each of those locations. We heard the babble of their languages and knew that they are all made in His image and wants them all to know Him and love Him.

And yes, their are thousands of people in my own hometown who need to know Him. Our call is both to our neighbors as well as to people from the nations. Equally important.

My desire this past week in Toronto was to see unseen people. I saw them in the parks, in the baseball stadium, in the airport, and in the church. All of them God sees and knows. My prayer now is that all those people will know Him and be transformed.

For those of you who prayed for me and our team last week, thank you. All of God’s people are on mission together as goers, pray-ers and givers.

DeAnna’s email: deannalynnsanders@gmail.com

Thank you for taking your time to read my words. And if you would, please share a good word with someone today. Invite others into our Good Word community.

Gratefully yours,