"Every wise-hearted one ..."

We've devoted a couple of the most recent postings to the contribution we've received from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, but the Lord woke me up around 4 this morning with a reminder: don't forget the others!

Right, as usual, Sir. After all, when you hear of a whacking big donation from a foundation, you might be tempted to think, "what good would my 50 bucks do?" ... and the answer is, Gospel Mission -- and especially The Lord's Rain -- was built not on one or two major donations, but on a whole lot of smaller donations.

Indeed, the same day that I deposited the cheque from the Westons, I also deposited a $50 cheque from one friend and US $20 from another. And that's how our Mission has grown.

The Lord's Rain is a perfect example. When we set out to build it, we approached a wealthy Christian businessman to underwrite the project. We were turned down flat. At first, we were perplexed, but then God started to show that He had other ideas. People started coming forward with donations, large and small. Yes, it was two larger donations that kick-started the project, but they were "convincers", responses to our request for a sign that The Lord's Rain was supposed to move forward.

People also started coming forward with their talents. If you read the Book of Exodus, you'll see that the Tabernacle was built by "wise-hearted" people or "those whose hearts were willing" (Exodus 35:10 et seqq.): that's how The Lord's Rain was built.

And that's how it should be. I've said it before: the reason why The Lord's Rain has been successful has been because it was built by a variety of people with a variety of gifts to bring. The love that comes with that effort and dedication permeates The Lord's Rain and shows the people who come in, whether it's for showers or just coffee and conversation, that people from The Other Half really do care.

And that's love ... which sows the seeds of hope ... which sows the seeds of transformational revival.

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No Plague Shall Come Nigh My Dwelling Dep't.: Heaven knows, we saw enough rats in and around the Mission during the time that work was going on at the old Woodward's site a block away. Prayer, oil and some judiciously placed packets of Wilsarin dealt with that menace, but then came renovations at the hotel-or-whatever-it-was next door and the total destruction of the 300 block Carrall Street. More rats were sighted in the alley and scampering across the sidewalk ... but nowhere near Gospel Mission / The Lord's Rain. We haven't been using Wilsarin, either. Go figure. Praise the Lord, Who protects His people!