Love this Place

The Scripture says that God appointed the exact times and locations where we would live, and that gives me a tremendous sense of security and comfort. I feel that our lot really has fallen on pleasant places, and Los Angeles is a great place to live. There is so much to take in here, and I find myself enjoying the geography, (Mountains, Oceansides, Desert) as well as the local culture. Southern California is just really cool, and it seems like God knew my family and I would enjoy the privilege of being apart of it all. Yet with the privilege comes the pain, and by pain I mean the grieving that comes with the knowledge that so many people here are lost. I am realizing that loving a city has two sides of embracing in it. One embraces the beauty and joy of all that is great about our home. The other embraces the hard yards of working and living amongst so much wickedness and ungodliness. The daunting task of being light in a dark place can squeeze you with fear if you let it. God's constant comfort from the Holy Spirit, and the strength we have in numbers together with other believers has been for me a shelter like no other. I often ask for better eyes to see the harvest here in LA like God wants me to see, and the boldness to be a soul-winner in a sea of doubters. God gave me a picture recently of LA being laden down with sins, nearing the bursting point of unsustainable corruption and brokenness. Will God give us the compassion and skill to minister when sins corruption finally catches up? I think so, probably because He loved this generation long before the wheels came off. So through high times in this city, to the lowest troughs that would depress even the most ardent optimist, oh God would you keep training me to Love this Place we call home.