Locked Out

One of the best things that happened to me yesterday was that I was locked out of my house. That sounds like an unusual thing to say, but I was locked out of my house on a sunny day in Pittsburgh while school was letting out and my neighbors were returning home from work. It gave me the opportunity to hang out in front of my house and talk to my neighbors and friends. The relationships are by far the best part of urban ministry. Sure, there are many sacrifices of living incarnationally in the city. But, the benefits far outweigh any of the downside. And, so, I have started looking forward to the unexpected things that happen to me. It usually means that God had a plan for me that I didn't know about... like getting locked out in my neighborhood with some of Pittsburgh's finest residents.