Camille is Loving Her Neighbors as Herself and Introducing Them to Jesus
I’ve been meeting with Camille for about three years. Camille works part-time for Alpha – a ministry that provides a safe place for people to wrestle with their questions of faith. Camille has a huge heart for people who don’t know Jesus. Here’s Camille’s story about her journey toward loving her neighbors and introducing them to Jesus:
“When I moved into my neighborhood in 2016, I was unprepared and unwilling to love myself, let alone my neighbors. I avoided my neighbors every chance I could, especially the neighbor to my right, the classic grouchy man who knocks on your door for being too loud or for parking to close to his car, in his 60s, and living by himself for very obvious reasons.
“When I came to know God’s love through a relationship with Jesus, my world was flipped upside down – I softened, my relationships changed, my perception of the world changed, and I was being made whole with the knowledge of Jesus’ unconditional love and forgiveness. I began to reconcile my relationships with my family and my boyfriend (now husband). But what I did not anticipate was the journey I would go on with my neighbors – an atheist, a secular Jew, an agnostic, and others who were distant from the faith.
“The transformation in me was evident to my neighbors, who went from seeing me blatantly avoiding them, to ringing doorbells inviting them to parties and barbeques on the driveway. As those relationships grew, they heard stories in passing about the volunteer work I was doing and my involvement with the church. They heard snippets of my story and my transformation. I shared bits of my faith in normal interactions.
“I introduced my neighbors to the most authentic, but newly born and still being formed, me. I was open about my faith questions and the safety I felt in exploring them. It became evident that I was unwilling to not practice my faith openly.
“Over time, I shared more and more parts of my story and it caused the neighborhood relationships to be transformed. There is one particular neighborhood relationship that stands out – the most unlikely of friendships, and yet the one I consider the strongest now – that grumpy old man who knocked on my door to complain – his name is Steve.
“Steve describes himself as a strong headed, secular Jew who was very hurt by his upbringing. In our growing friendship, he has shared stories of his family, views of the world, and his love for cigars and bourbon. Whenever he shared, I noticed our similarities, our shared struggles, and the loneliness I had known for so long before I knew Jesus. My heart ached for him to know the joy I knew now.
“I spent as much time as I could with Steve. We connected over our similar backgrounds and our shared love for cigars, bourbon, books, wine, my dog, sitting out on the driveway, walks and structured days. I shared with Steve all the ways Jesus was forming me, revealing the best and worst parts of myself to him, letting him in on my own journey.
”In my daily prayers for Steve, I didn’t hear much about Steve, instead, Jesus kept revealing to me the work he was still doing in softening my own heart. My questions of how to live the ‘Christian Life’ weighed on my heart daily. Through gaining a mentor and other inputs, I came to understand God’s calling on my life, and I came to understand that MY LIFE and a CHRISTIAN LIFE were one in the same. The Christian life was meant to be so intertwined with my life that those around me would feel no difference between an invitation to come for a BBQ as an invitation to a Sunday service.
“This season has been one of answered prayers. Recently I stood in the second row of church with six of my neighbors, Steve standing directly to my left. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that the invitation to hear His gospel on Sunday was so easy to extend with this group of ‘misfit neighbors,’ as easy as an invitation to a BBQ.” – Camille
Because of Camille’s influence, two of her neighbors have gone through Alpha. Six neighbors, including Steve, have volunteered to help at Alpha gatherings with greeting, set up and hospitality, even though they are not believers yet. Camille mentors two young women, one is a neighbor. I wish there was room in this letter to share more stories of lives being impacted through Camille. It’s been inspiring to witness!
Jamie Became a Counselor and Is Thriving
I met with Jamie for two years. When we first met, she was going to school to become a counselor. She became a counselor during our season together. (Congrats, Jamie!) Here’s what Jamie wrote about how she grew being spiritually mentored through Legacy Shepherding Ministries:
“When I went to my first meeting to be mentored, I felt an immense unworthiness. I didn’t feel like a spiritual leader in my age group. I felt embarrassed about how messy I was. In the beginning it was a challenge to show up and honestly work through my most hidden issues, to confront them and admit them out loud. Today, I’m no longer afraid to name my flaws and shortcomings, but instead I bring them into the light so God can make me clean from them.
“I’ve also grown in allowing God to have a consistent presence in my life, versus extremely high highs or nothing at all. I have never been so consistent in my faith. Over these past two years, I have never wavered in my faith or belief, which is a new feeling for me. I have grown in commitment – to this process, to God, to staying steady on the course of life, even in the spiritually mundane.
“Also, I am less dependent on others for assurance, because self-assurance has slowly grown in me. As a result, I feel confident in allowing friends to have their own lives and space while trusting they still love me. And I’m satisfied with fewer, richer relationships.
“Lastly, I have grown as a counselor through being counseled and seeing it modeled. Seeing someone embody the traits of being Christ-like led me to know what it feels like and looks like to do the same for others. I have experienced being in the presence of a calm spirit. It was like a human barometer for my fast, anxious one, as if spiritually showing me what it can be like to relax in God’s presence. I can sit in silence with a client after having it modeled so well. I feel a calm presence in me now, not needing to fix my clients. I have faith in the sovereignty of God. And I can handle hard conversations with clients after having it modeled. (Randy and I had to handle and repair my lateness, and it was redemptive for me).
“I am so grateful for the gift of presence and listening over these past two years. I have felt seen and heard. I often felt healed just from the presence. I can’t say that I am fully healed, but I have learned how I operate, more than ever before, and have many tools now to continue to address my issues.” – Jamie
As a counselor, Jamie is having a profound impact on people, helping them grow and heal. It’s inspiring! Way to go, Jamie!
What’s also inspiring is her artwork! Jamie’s a talented painter who has displayed paintings in galleries in the Chicago area. The picture above is a painting Jamie created and gave to me. She painted it using inks that she made out of nuts, seeds, and flowers that she collected. It was painted with brushes she made by hand. The painting represents the journey we went on together, with all its twists and turns. It now hangs in my living room.
It’s Not Too Late to Make A Difference
Thanks so much for your prayers and support. None of this would happen without you. You make a difference.
If you haven’t already…
Would you be willing to partner with me by making a contribution for this year or by making an on-going commitment to support the impactful work of this ministry?
Contributions are tax deductible and life changing.
Every penny will help!
Merry Christmas!
Randy
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