That is what we do- Spring Break 2011, B La B

“Want to thank our church family from Searcy, Arkansas for a great week of hard work and great fellowship. They worked in the community, worked with our children programs, and handed out food to the needy and so much more. Thanks again!” This is a wall post from the Hemley Road church of Christs’ Facebook page as they expressed their appreciation for us coming to Bayou LaBatre, Alabama to partner with them in their effort to make the good news known to the “B La B” community. While I am not exactly sure who posted it, it does speak on behalf of the church family, as a whole, in this small expression of gratitude. Yet, we cannot take the credit for what we did last week. We will not boast in ourselves for the yards that were mowed, the lots that were cleared of branches, for the cemetery that was cleaned, or the food and clothes that were handed out to those in need. We will not boast in ourselves for teaching the kids with a puppet show, for the love and encouragement that was offered, for the fellowship we shared with the Hemley Road family, or for the songs we sang in worship to God on a beach as the sun was setting behind us. No, we will not boast in ourselves about these works and the many other good things that took place last week in B La B. But with humility, we give thanks to God for allowing us the time, energy, funds, transportation, chaperones, food, and housing as all of the glory goes to him and not to us. Paul wrote, “God made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10; NCV). This past week was hard as some dealt with blisters, allergies, and fatigue. But this week was also fun filled as we laughed, played card games, made new friendships, and got to know one another better. And who can forget about the weeklong game of “Mafia?” All that said, we returned to Bayou LaBatre because “God made us to do good works, which God planned in advanced for us to live our lives doing.” In short, we were simply doing, what we were made to do. We were made to do good works. Sometimes that means we take a mission trip and sometimes that means we go get the mail for our neighbors. And however that looks in our individual lives or in the life of the whole Cloverdale family, we can’t deny that we are to live our lives doing the work God planned for us to do, not so we can boast in ourselves, but so the world will see how gracious and loving God is. That is what we do, BW