Dear Soteria Avondale
By Nick Harsh
Dear Soteria Avondale,
There are moments when God allows us to get a small glimpse of his power and sovereignty. He pulls back the curtain and we are able to see that the very ordinary occurrences in life are opportunities to impact eternity. No doubt there are days when we wake up and feel as if our work is pointless; when we question whether or not the sacrifices we have made are worth it. Often it is in those moments when we are most frustrated and discouraged that God gives us a small glimpse of what he is doing. He reminds us that He is working behind the scenes in ways we could never have imagined. A few weeks ago, someone told me of a very specific way that God has used our church body. Soteria Avondale, you are the answer to a mother’s prayer!
Not long ago I ran into an old friend — figuratively of course not literally. We began talking about life and she asked how things are going at Soteria. As we talked about some of the ways God is working, I made the comment that we are planting a new church in Arizona and how excited I am about the team God has brought together. When I said this she smiled and responded, “That is so wonderful! I am praying that more churches would be planted in Arizona. My son and his family live there and don’t really have a good church to attend.” She mentioned that her son isn’t currently living for the Lord but was excited to hear that our church had considered Arizona for a church plant. I asked her, “So where in Arizona does your son live?” She began explaining that he lives in the Phoenix area; not in Phoenix but in a suburb to the Southwest. She said, “It is a city called Avondale.” It was my turn to smile! I looked at her and said, “That is where our church will be located.” She began to cry and told me that she has prayed for years that a solid gospel-preaching church would come to her son’s city. It was such a joy to tell her that God had answered her prayer.
Dear Soteria Avondale, you are the answer to this mother’s prayer. We never know the impact that the little moments (and big moments) can have in people’s lives but one thing is certain: God is at work in ways we cannot see and is doing things that we could never imagine. There are still more prayers to be answered and more sons who need to hear the Gospel and be made alive in Jesus (in both Avondale and Des Moines). We have the amazing privilege of intersecting with these stories every day. Clearly, God is at work and I am confident that He has big plans for Soteria Avondale. It is exciting to think of all the other prayers God wants to answer through Soteria Avondale.
We love you, we are praying for you, and we’re so grateful for the ways God is going to transform lives using the “ordinary moments” in your life.
Sincerely,
Nick Harsh