The Family Picnic - JFJ Hope Centre

A Word from Margo
Here I sit, writing my first word to you as
Executive Director. What a journey the Lord
has taken me on. I spent the better part of
the summer feeling an unexpected kinship
with Gideon, that reluctant judge from Judges
6-8. Like Gideon, when I was approached
with the suggestion that God was calling me
to this position, my reaction was less than
enthusiastic. To the person offering this insight
I responded with skepticism, and to God I
responded with an appeal for confirmation –
a sign, some form of clear direction.
After much prayer, advice and clear nudges
from the Lord, I stepped forward only to find
my kinship with Gideon continued. There I
stood, poised to engage in the task ahead,
and the Lord said, “Wait a minute. There’s too
many of you.” Then, like Gideon, I watched
as God began to remove soldiers from our
generous ranks. Elizabeth, Heather, Lindsay,
and even our amazing summer student, Bev,
were gone within a matter of weeks. I
thought a lot about poor Gideon. I suspect
the soldiers God removed from his army
weren’t just nameless numbers. They were
friends, brothers, trusted partners in ministry,
just as these dear people were to me. As in
Gideon’s situation, it was obvious that this was
God’s doing. Each staff member had been
called to things and places that were unquestionably
God’s doing. Added to this was a
scarcity of funds. Not only were the ranks of
Jewels being depleted in manpower but the
usual summer downswing in donations, coupled
with the huge increase in ministry opportunities,
had thinned the financial ranks as
well.
What was God’s lesson for Gideon, and me?
It is this: that He is sufficient. Our confidence
must never rest in the strength of our ranks or
our financial reserve. God alone is sufficient
for the victory.
And so, like Gideon, we enter the battle.
Opportunities to engage in ministry are coming
with the speed of the archer’s arrows:
phones ring constantly; there is a continuous
parade of care cupboard clients and clients
looking for help with their unplanned pregnancies,
and little ones in need; opportunities
to educate youth in abstinence, and to train
other pregnancy support centre volunteers
abound. And, as with Gideon, God is providing
the victory. As we move forward in our
own seeming weakness, with our eyes fixed
on our powerful Lord, He is touching lives
through our insufficient efforts and swelling our
ranks with warriors of excellence. With great
joy I introduce our new staff to you. The new
partners God has provided come with excellent
credentials, hearts for the Lord, and the
critical skills we need on our team.
Gideon obeyed God’s call, remained faithful
through seemingly bleak times, and watched
as God gave the victory. Now we do the
same. With our eyes on Him we move
ahead in confidence – not confidence in the
team or the resources, but in Him – and look
forward with expectancy to the victories
ahead.
Margo Semple,
Executive Director