"Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.
This week was orientation for Wendy, Will, Kenna, Alex, and Curtis (you can click on their names for their personal blogs), our incredible new Hollywood Dwellers. I'm already so blessed and thankful for the amount of courage, in the face of the unknown, these five have shown. Who are these new roommates of mine? What are they going to be like? What will our commute look like each day as bus riders, subway takers, or pedestrians? How will we fit into our new work placements? Will the neighborhood accept us? And who is this Matthew character?
The song lyric above has been playing in my head all week as a sort of anchor. Not only with the Dwellers, but in my own personal life. As I type this, my wife is in an extended early labor with our first child. Our caregivers have instructed us to go about our day and not to worry about it too much. So here I sit and reflect, trying not to think about it, and trying my best to remember to hinge my mounting anxieties upon our God. So much unknown here too: how will we know when it's REALLY time to go? What will she look like? How will we feel if she's born today, on September 11th? But God is our Hope. Our strong Deliverer. Amen. And again I say, amen (I have to keep going there, like, every 5 minutes!)
It was after some great meals, some intense conversations about the birth of a new intentional community, after serving a day at Project Angel Food together and seeing a taping of E!'s The Soup, that these five Dwellers reminded me about our loving and strong Lord before I rushed home to be with my wife. We gathered in prayer, and I felt a divine patience and strength well up inside me as this newborn community prayed for my family. My prayer for them is that they find that same strength in waiting and watching for the Lord together both today, and for the exciting days ahead.
If you'd like to learn more about how to get involved, click on any photo below. We all ask for your prayers and encouragement, especially to remember to stay on this path of patience and trusting in God!
In Christ,
With Joel McHale at a taping of E!'s The Soup.
Will and Curtis disguised as lunch ladies at Project Angel Food.
Kenna and Alex get started on helping to make 1600 meals in a morning.
"With all of our strengths combined, we will rule 5846 Gregory!"
on her way.....
