Stay if you Say So

I've always had the desire to be around people who are different from me. I grew up in Clarkston, Georgia, a small suburb just east of Atlanta that is known as the most diverse square mile in America. The community has had a large refugee population since the early 1980's and consists of a variety of different ethnic groups. Growing up as a minority gave me a perspective I will always be grateful for. I love to learn about other cultures and participate in the unique traditions and stories others have to share.

8th grade fun in Clarkston, GA

There is a lot going on right now involving immigrants and how they are viewed and treated in our country. When something is being threatened, it can shine a light on what is important and what we stand for. What I want to stand for is loving my neighbor. My neighbor doesn't just live next door, they live in another city, another state, and even in another country.

Georgia Welcome Center

When we first moved to Tennessee, I looked around and did not see a lot of diversity where I lived, worked, and went to church. At least, that's what I thought...

I've come to realize there are many ways to look at culture and diversity. We live in a military town where we are surrounded by Army culture. We live in a small town where we are surrounded by Southern culture. We've met a lot of people who home-school their children, which is a culture of its own. There are several homeless ministries in our community, with people who lead a different kind of lifestyle from mine. We may not have the kind of diversity you would find in a big city, but if I look around and step outside my comfortable circle, there are people of races, ethnicity, values, religions, and cultures that are different from my own.

We have each been called to "go" somewhere and spread the word of Christ. For some, that means to go abroad as missionaries, but most of us are called to "go" into our own community where we already live. Our neighbors, co-workers, and friends are in as much need of the good news of Christ as anyone else in the world.

My mission field is right next door where my sweet older neighbors long to have us come over and chat with them. It is at my job where a mom is in tears as she struggles to deal with her child with special needs, give her other children the attention they need, and keep their family functioning while dad is deployed. It's at my church where marriages are struggling, people are dealing with grief and loss, and someone just wants to find a friend. It's in my own home where our foster daughter longs to be loved, but fights against us.

That's why I love this song, Go Where you Send Me, by my sweet friend and local singer/songwriter, Lydia Walker Athey. The most powerful words in the song, to me, are "I will stay if you say so." I don't think it's always easy to stay. Especially when things get too complacent or perhaps too difficult and we want to move on. Things look better somewhere new, where we can start over. Perhaps we forget to look around for the opportunities right here where we are, where God can use us to fulfill his purpose.

I thought this was funny and very true

Sometimes I want to leave, but I've been called to stay. Where I am is not where I thought I would be. I never thought I would live in Tennessee or in such a small town. I thought I would live in a place where I would be surrounded by more diversity and rich culture, where I could make friends with people who weren't exactly like me, where I would be surrounded by mountains and beautiful vistas.

I'm starting to see that diversity is about more than just skin color, everyone has a different culture of their own, my friends have experiences and viewpoints that differ greatly from mine, and even in Middle Tennessee I am surrounded by nature's beauty:

Dunbar Cave Park

Clarksville Greenway

I'm using this post as a catalyst to brainstorm, research, and compile a list of how I can serve my local community, my country, and throughout the world. Below is what I've found so far. Please share other ministries that inspire you!

Middle TN:
The Well: A ministry for the homeless and working poor. 
Hope Pregnancy Center: Provides services for women and couples facing unexpected pregnancy.
Manna Cafe: Serves people in need by providing food and resources. 
Buddy Ball: Special needs athletic leagues.
Retrieving Independence: Provides service dogs for individuals with disabilities. Allows prison inmates to provide initial training to dogs.
Autism Tennessee: Advocates and educates the community through orientations and workshops.

National:
Girls on the Run: Inspiring young girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident.
Embrace: Guides refugee mothers throughout pregnancy and birth in Clarkston, GA. 
Friends of Refugees: Provides tutoring, job training, community garden, and more to refugees in Clarkston, GA.
Make A Wish: Grants a wish for children with life threatening medical conditions.
Mira Foundation: Provides guide dogs to individuals with disabilities for free.
Youth Villages: Helps children and families successfully navigate foster care.

Global:
Care of Creation: Mobilizes the church to care for the world. Supports missionaries throughout the world.
Africa Inland Mission: Supports missionaries in Africa.
Go Be Love International: Sends teams on mission trips throughout the world.
Compassion International: Sponsor children living in poverty throughout the world.
Ukraine Missions: Missionary Bill Wharton leads mission trips to areas in Ukraine and Russia, provides support to widows, school children, and those who are in need.
Contact by phone: 352-372-9202 or email: wlwmail@yahoo.com.