June 1, 2026

dislocated – to put out of place; to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt

Have you ever had something dislocated? It is very uncomfortable. Many years ago, one of my blessings who loved to give big hugs (still does) ran to me and hugged me so hard she put one of my ribs up into another rib. I didn’t even know that was possible. As painful as it was, I didn’t realize something was really wrong until I went to lay down and couldn’t. I had to have an x-ray and then go to my Physical Therapist and he had me take a deep breath and pulled it out. Once it was done, I felt much relief. She felt so bad and I told her that is okay because I realize how much she loves me. She doesn’t run to give hugs now and usually pauses before embracing for a hug.

Have you ever been any place where it is out of your comfort zone? A mission trip. A busy place with lots of people you don’t know or really don’t want to be around. A doctor’s office or hospital. In traffic that some people drive a bit too crazy.

I wonder if we start thinking more like Jesus, where He would take us? I wonder to be like Jesus, we need to go to places that are uncomfortable. Jesus came to earth surrounded by awful people who were selfish humans who could just never get it right…. mess ups, drunks, prostitutes, liars, thieves, very broken. Yet He chose to put Himself in the most uncomfortable places and around the most uncomfortable people and He loved it because He was doing His Father’s will.

The really neat thing is if we give up our own personal comfort for the benefit of another, God not only goes before us, but He encourages us in it all. We see with His perspective and our heart breaks for what breaks His. When you see a need, do you turn a blind eye or do you do something about it? Do you have compassion or do you think, “it’s someone else’s problem”.

I was just writing to people today about what fear does to a person. I said, “….Fear can really hold us back from making an eternal difference. We freeze because we question whether we did/said enough. We will stay in this state until we trust God….”  Or others may just not say anything or say what the person wants to hear so they stay on their good side. Maybe someone doesn’t want to get involved because maybe they feel they are not qualified enough to help or maybe they feel, “not my monkey, not my circus”. True, we need to be wise and discerning when it comes to helping people, but I do believe God is Sovereign to make those divine appointments happen in His way and in His time.

When I start to talk to people, who may have very different views then me, they see I take time to listen to them, not to tell them what they must believe, but simply care to listen. I pray as I listen and think before I speak. Yes, I know that seems hard to believe if you know me but thankfully God is still working on me. What I am so blessed from is when people start out our conversation with anxiety or sadness and then they have felt so much better to talk through things and understand who the Lord is by the end of our conversation. Every person I encounter allows me to pray over them, no matter what their faith background. Even if we don’t see eye to eye, we end on a good note. I’ve learned over the years, people don’t want to talk about the hard, they don’t want to let people in to see those deep wounds, but the people who learn to talk about it become the healthiest versions of themselves. It is beautiful to see.

To see people give their lives to Christ has been the most amazing thing to experience in my entire life. Someone encouraged me today when I voiced my own fear of being there for someone in need yet I questioned if I did or said enough. Fear kept me in a “frozen state” and I avoided talking with people who I felt I may not be able to help and I shared this with people I work with as I decided to pick up where I left off although very apprehensive. Later someone encouraged me saying, “You are an effective evangelist and satan will definitely try to keep you down….thank you for your faithfulness.” I can only give God all the glory and praise when I see what He has done in my life and those around me. Beyond amazing.

As I get older and know God better, more and more I desire to see people have a transformation in their life like never before. Loving people, from all walks of life, with brokenness, baggage, lifestyles, religions, becomes very much the best mission ever. Not a project, but instead very much loving the people you are to love when God puts them in your path. I have noticed, too, when I thought I had seasons of loss, it was actually God’s way to show me that He had other people I was to have in my life. The young mothers I have been blessed to mentor through the years and the people God has put in my path to do life with, to encourage, to walk beside. When asked for advice, I always have to stop and pray and let them know I will get back to them after I pray about it.

Inviting people over to share with, get to know them, have a meal together, listen and love them. Have you ever had someone in your life tell you, “No one has loved me like you do.” OR “You have really made a difference in my life.” OR “Thank you for caring and listening”, etc. This is very humbling because then you wonder how it is that God really did use you. I tell people, it is only the Jesus in me because my flesh is not this person. Very humbling for sure.

Will this ever be convenient? No, probably not. We are not to operate on our timetable but on God’s. Simple things like not rushing to get here or there. The other day I had someone tell me, “sorry you had to wait” and I said, “no problem, I am not in a rush.” I must say I have learned this valuable lesson from my youngest as she has showed me over the years how beautiful it is to slow down. I always say she should’ve been my firstborn because I have learned so much understanding and patience from her but then maybe she would’ve been my only child. Who knows? I just love how God works everything out perfectly.

I remember years ago selling our house to move to a different one all for the sole purpose of being able to have our growing bible study in our home. This might seem radical but we felt the importance in doing it. And, I loved our home and our neighbors we left. This meant looking for an open concept style home which I didn’t like at all. Every time we’d see the houses with little rooms, we always thought about our bible study, and had to say no to it and my flesh was, “ugh. BUT I like this one”. When our church found out we moved for the sole purpose of having more people over, so many were in awe. We have had some amazing times. One person said she had never heard of anyone who would move for a Bible Study. God blessed us so much through obedience.

I remember years ago, decades, a question would come up in a sermon or in a lecture: Who’s the last person you shared Christ with? And my excuse was easy. “Well, I am only around Christian people so I haven’t been able to”. The more that question came up, though, the more convicted I became to be intentional to put myself in places where people needed to hear about God. And, when you pray for opportunity and boldness, God will show you. I look back and think how many opportunities I missed….way too many.

Who’s the last person you invited over to your house, who doesn’t know Christ, from your neighborhood or work? Who’s the last person you took to lunch, at work, just for the purpose of encouraging them? Who do you pray for? Who do you pray for in your neighborhood? At the gym? These are good questions to ask ourselves. We are put here for the purpose of being an Ambassador. How well are you doing at that? This is important for me to think about daily.

If your heart is not open to making a difference in this way, maybe you need to pray something like this:
“God, will You forgive me for not really caring about people? I would rather just focus on me in my own little world without getting out of my comfort zone. I desire, Lord, to see with Your eyes so I can see opportunities to share You with others even in the mundane of life. Open my eyes to a whole new world that needs You. Please give me a dislocated heart for my good and Your glory. Amen”