These past couple weeks, I had an opportunity to think a lot about different things. One of the things that kept coming up was in response to a sermon on Matthew 9.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.' And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction."

I kept thinking about the first bit... how Jesus had compassion for the crowds because He saw them as harassed and helpless.

I got to thinking exactly why I decided to do a FT year with CTI. As I was listening to this sermon and as I kept reflecting on that bit of the passage, it was then that I remembered why I wanted to do FT specifically.

I thought about who I saw as harassed and helpless. I thought back to the outreach trips to Tampa I took. There were so many times when I was there where it just didn't sit right with me. It wasn't that I was in a dangerous part of the country. It wasn't the time where some guy pulled a knife out on me. I remember thinking, "This place is only an hour and a half from home. There are families here who are torn apart by addictions to drugs, greed, lust, alcohol abuse. The neglect of the state when it comes to the education of the students who live there. Why is it that the people here know there's something more but have lost hope in something better? How is there such brokenness this close to the town I live in?" I then brought it back some, thinking of everything going on around in my life. Seeing the brokenness in my family. The bitterness of family drama plaguing my dad, weighing heavily on his heart, so much to the point where he couldn't eat or sleep and had to occupy himself with doing something. Literally working himself to death.

I remember looking at the CTI website and looking at the difference between the two programs they offer... and I recall seeing that if I were to join a full time team, we'd have the chance to go around the US. And I remember all of those faces and emotions just came flooding in. I remember being so bothered by the fact that there's so much brokenness right here in our country.

There's a song that the new wave of FTers for CTI are doing. It's by Luminate, titled Shine (Love is an Action).



I want to strike a match
Let it burn ‘til the world’s on fire
I want to see a chain reaction
And see the flames burn higher
I want to see Your Word alive I want to see the orphans laughing
Want to see the sinners cry Surrounded by the hands of mercy
The hands of mercy, so

Shine, love is an action
Shine, oh, it starts with a passion
‘Cause we want to be a heart that’s pure
So all will see that we are Yours
Shine

And though it starts with one
There will be a million candles
There will be millions more
Singing with the tongues of angels
The light of Heaven falling down Spreading love to the darkest places
I want to strike a match And watch it bring salvation
I’m gonna lift my light up high

(Love is an action)
I’m gonna let my love burn bright
(It starts with a passion)

I’m gonna lift my light up high
(So all will see that we are Yours)

I’m gonna let my love burn bright
(Let it burn, let it burn)

I want to strike a match
Let it burn, Let it burn
I’ll let it burn

I remember wanting to go out and minister to those who I thought were harassed and helpless. And the Lord provided those opportunities to do that through CTI.

Who in your life do you see as harassed and helpless? Do you want to see the word alive? Let's be the hands of mercy to these people.

What does that look like in your life? Maybe bearing with the awkwardness as you sit with the lonely person during lunch. Or just listening to what people are going through and speaking truth into their life. Maybe that means giving to missionaries so their work can be done.

In all things, pray earnestly to the Lord. Be filled by the Lord.

Hope y'all are doing great!