When Kate and I moved our family from Chicago to Michigan a few years ago, we left not only our physical home of the previous eight years, but our church home as well. It was there that we had intentionally put our roots down in a church for the first time, investing in small groups, service teams, and the community. To say that God returned on that investment in our personal relationships and relationship with Him is an understatement.

Fast forward to church dating in the height of the pandemic, we recognized something in TLC that felt familiar, and eagerly pursued recapturing that sense of home in the few ways that were possible at the time. As I was feeling the call to invest more in TLC, the beginning of the Belong Project was announced in a service. I've always had my heart pulled towards foster care and adoption, but too quickly dismissed it as something I would do when the timing made more sense (as if that would happen!). When I heard about the Belong Project, I felt a very gentle nudge from God to dive in, as if to say, "I'm not asking you to solve a humanitarian crisis on your own, just show up and let me work!".

It took one quick bag drop off to realize how much God could move in such a simple act. The clothes, toys, toiletries, and books that are these children’s only personal belongings are of obvious importance, but it wasn't until meeting the families that I understood how important it was for them to know someone was supporting them in a time of stress. 

In hindsight, there were all these little moments that only required showing up (coming together as a church to plan this project, packing bags together, meeting families and supplying kids) that God used to grow our relationships with Him, the church, and the community. If you're like me, and feel that little nudge towards what seem like insurmountable problems, my best encouragement is to do exactly that: just show up and see what God can do!

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