A wise mentor at Covenant House once introduced me to the quote usually attributed to Ignatius (whoever he was) that says, "Work as if everything depends on you; pray as if everything depends on God". Not scripture for sure but a catchy mantra...I add a twist in my mind, deleting the "as if" after pray and adding "believe knowing"...because everything does depend on God. But He still requires action=I can't just sit on my duff and wait for Him to work.
For the last several weeks I've been coordinating a book signing event with our president and another author at the Cherry Hill Library set for tomorrow. Kevin Ryan wrote an incredible book, Almost Home, that follows 6 kids from their journeys of homelessness to Covenant House. I read it in one day, the day after I slept in the book in Philly (if you're a reader and enjoy this blog, I encourage you to get it!) This book signing event is very important, very crucial to our work in Camden. It's a "friend-raiser" more than anything.
My task, aside from all the logistical stuff, was to try and get people to come. Lists were created, invitations and fliers made, I rounded up some kids to hand address every envelope, we added little Covenant House stickies to the invitations with little personal notes...Then we tried to call everyone we sent invites to and encourage them to come.
There has been a little angst surrounding this..."Are people going to come?" "Who is going to show up?" "What if there are only 7 people and staff?" But it hasn't come from me. I made a conscious decision a few weeks ago that I would do everything I could think of to get the word out and invite folks...and then sit back and accept God's hand in bringing that right people. In short, I would work as if it all depended on me (I'm the development manager, after all) but then believe knowing that everything--who would come, how they might help us or just be impacted--depended on God.
The RSVPs started coming...a steady mix of direct mail donors, people in the social services field, clergy, parents who wanted to bring their kids, book clubs, etc. Part of my job is to research everyone that is coming so I spent time Googling everyone, trying to find out where they live, what organizations they belong to, houses of worship, business connections, etc.
I kept praying (and continue to pray, with faith) that I did my best...and whomever God assembles Monday night at 7pm is exactly who HE wanted to be there. No matter if "so-n-so" from "wherever" couldn't make it--if they weren't there, it wasn't meant to be.
I did get a nice surprise on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day I had connected w/ a Rabbi from a local synagogue in Cherry Hill I'd been hoping would come because their church does a lot for the community. He emailed his "Sorry--I can't make it" RSVP. I responded and asked if perhaps we couldn't set up another time to meet, etc. and he quickly responded in the affirmative, could I send him a few dates and times to consider. YES! A nice "win"...
I work from various donor lists and am able to see who has been giving how much for how long. A few years back there was a couple on my portfolio who were high on the "We need to cultivate these folks" list...I tried...Comps for events, personal invites to come tour the site, meet the kids, etc.=no dice. They wanted to give their donation and be left alone.
But Friday afternoon, after trekking back from a meeting in Camden, I arrived in my office to my message light flashing. It was the couple's wife RSVPing that her husband would in fact attend the book signing. WHAT!? Ms. Diane (who you recall from the "Humbles" post) was standing outside my door when I gave a "Wahoo!" She peeked in and raised her eyebrows...I just looked at her, then raised my hands to the ceiling, looked up, and said, "Thank You! Thank YOU!" and told what had happened. Add to that, when I did some research on the guy, he attends the same synagogue as the Rabbi with whom I'm arranging the meeting. Luck? Coincidence? HA! Providence!
Who knows how this event will turn out...? He knows...and today as I sit here I am not second guessing any effort I made to bring people there...and I have a simmering excitement to be there tomorrow and knowthatIknowthatIknow that each person who comes is a Divine appointment...I did my part...and I know that God did/does/will do His part as well.
For the last several weeks I've been coordinating a book signing event with our president and another author at the Cherry Hill Library set for tomorrow. Kevin Ryan wrote an incredible book, Almost Home, that follows 6 kids from their journeys of homelessness to Covenant House. I read it in one day, the day after I slept in the book in Philly (if you're a reader and enjoy this blog, I encourage you to get it!) This book signing event is very important, very crucial to our work in Camden. It's a "friend-raiser" more than anything.
My task, aside from all the logistical stuff, was to try and get people to come. Lists were created, invitations and fliers made, I rounded up some kids to hand address every envelope, we added little Covenant House stickies to the invitations with little personal notes...Then we tried to call everyone we sent invites to and encourage them to come.
There has been a little angst surrounding this..."Are people going to come?" "Who is going to show up?" "What if there are only 7 people and staff?" But it hasn't come from me. I made a conscious decision a few weeks ago that I would do everything I could think of to get the word out and invite folks...and then sit back and accept God's hand in bringing that right people. In short, I would work as if it all depended on me (I'm the development manager, after all) but then believe knowing that everything--who would come, how they might help us or just be impacted--depended on God.
The RSVPs started coming...a steady mix of direct mail donors, people in the social services field, clergy, parents who wanted to bring their kids, book clubs, etc. Part of my job is to research everyone that is coming so I spent time Googling everyone, trying to find out where they live, what organizations they belong to, houses of worship, business connections, etc.
I kept praying (and continue to pray, with faith) that I did my best...and whomever God assembles Monday night at 7pm is exactly who HE wanted to be there. No matter if "so-n-so" from "wherever" couldn't make it--if they weren't there, it wasn't meant to be.
I did get a nice surprise on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day I had connected w/ a Rabbi from a local synagogue in Cherry Hill I'd been hoping would come because their church does a lot for the community. He emailed his "Sorry--I can't make it" RSVP. I responded and asked if perhaps we couldn't set up another time to meet, etc. and he quickly responded in the affirmative, could I send him a few dates and times to consider. YES! A nice "win"...
I work from various donor lists and am able to see who has been giving how much for how long. A few years back there was a couple on my portfolio who were high on the "We need to cultivate these folks" list...I tried...Comps for events, personal invites to come tour the site, meet the kids, etc.=no dice. They wanted to give their donation and be left alone.
But Friday afternoon, after trekking back from a meeting in Camden, I arrived in my office to my message light flashing. It was the couple's wife RSVPing that her husband would in fact attend the book signing. WHAT!? Ms. Diane (who you recall from the "Humbles" post) was standing outside my door when I gave a "Wahoo!" She peeked in and raised her eyebrows...I just looked at her, then raised my hands to the ceiling, looked up, and said, "Thank You! Thank YOU!" and told what had happened. Add to that, when I did some research on the guy, he attends the same synagogue as the Rabbi with whom I'm arranging the meeting. Luck? Coincidence? HA! Providence!
Who knows how this event will turn out...? He knows...and today as I sit here I am not second guessing any effort I made to bring people there...and I have a simmering excitement to be there tomorrow and knowthatIknowthatIknow that each person who comes is a Divine appointment...I did my part...and I know that God did/does/will do His part as well.
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