We had the first meeting for the Agape Community Garden today. A group of us met at "The Garden" church, talked about what brought us to this church and also what drew us to be part of this community garden. It was great to hear everyone's heart in why they were here and to discover the variety of experience and visions everyone brought. What an awesome and amazing group of people all of you are!
We talked about the garden being a way to build genuine relationships with people and how it will also serve as a compass to living a more simpler life. One that is not focused on hoarding our possessions, but on giving our possessions to others in need. One that is mindful of how we live and how our actions affect the environment around us. One that realizes it matters that we care for and love what God created and said was good.
We took a walk to the future site of the Agape Community Garden and along the way prayerfully asked God to show us where He was already moving, why He was calling us to this place, and what needs He wanted to bring to our attention:
We saw and heard kids playing and laughing, we overheard a man praising God, we saw families walking along the streets, street vendors pushing carts, and a vacant piece of land in the middle of it all...
We arrived at the lot, stood in a circle, and simply asked and prayed for God to reveal to us more of the vision for this land. Here are some of the prophetic visions and prayers that were lifted up:
A parallel to the hard ground under our feet and the hurting hearts around us. As we soften this land, it will also soften the hearts of this community for You. May restoration and truth be seen and felt on this land, may it be contagious and may we see more of You. We see this garden becoming a place where people will experience You through all of their senses. May we not be a burden on this community, but a Light to You. We pray against the Us vs Them mentality, and may this community see Your love through us. We thank you for the blessing and provision of this land, this urban jungle. We ask for empowerment for this community, that we put aside our agenda and expectations, may Your wisdom be instilled in this community.
It was incredible to feel God moving through our prayers. As we were in the circle, Chris prayed that this community see God's love through our work. Just after she finished praying, a woman walked by and said aloud, "Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord." Wow God, You are incredible. We hope and pray this garden becomes a place where we simply love for loves sake.
