Guts Church in Tulsa, OK took up a challenge called Servolution. While on the surface, doing acts of kindness in our community seemed simple enough, it has grown inside each of us to something more. Being out Friday, picking up trash and cleaning vacant lots caused an interest in the community. At first they just watched us, called some others out of their houses, and the kids inched closer. Then one of the kids in the house next to the lot we were working in threw his red spiderman ball over the fence. His older and younger siblings ran to the porch, this little guy watched as I walked over to retrieve the ball. I started to hand the ball over and he said "whatcha doin?" I told him just cleaning up a little. He said ok and the other four kids starting playing again.

Then I noticed another guy coming over to ask Kelly about our group. A few minutes later Rudy came up to me, head down kicking at the sidewalk. I asked him how he was and he said fine, then he looked up a bit shy and said "now that you guys cleaned up, this will make a great place to play football". After that he went and talked to the other girls in the group, his initial shyness gone. While the guys loaded the lawn mower and we put the brooms and rakes into the truck, Rudy asked where we were going next. He was told over on the next block. He asked if he could come. We told him if his parents said it was ok he could follow us over and Marquise piped in that he wanted to go too. They raced into their houses to get permission, then came back with huge smiles, excited to be a part of our clean up crew. As they ran along the sidewalk we drove slow so that they could keep up, we stopped at the next address on our list. A couple of more kids were playing in their yard, their mom watching them. She saw us pull up and after a few minutes approached my truck and asked about us. When I explained servolution and Guts Church to her she was very apprecitive of us cleaning up the neighborhood. All four of her kids ranging from 7-11 asked if they could help us out too. She asked me to "wear them out" and we laughed. The next site was a couple blocks down and now our 2 helpers turned into 6 all racing down the street. They could see another group of our red shirts at the end of the block. As we all worked together to clean up, the kids enthusically dove into picking up trash and talking non-stop. They helped until the work was complete and then stopped to let me photograph them. What a great time I had. I went to bless a stranger and instead God introduced me to some new friends in our group and in the neighborhood.

I went out to servolution with this scripture in my head.

Proverbs 3:27 Do not keep back good from those who deserve it , when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

and I left those kids:

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Luke 6:38

It was so amazing, my kids have a clean yard and tons of toys to play with, all these happy mischeivous little ones wanted was a reasonably clean lot to play football in. They wanted their neighborhood to look good and were willing to dig in and make it happen. We just had to give them direction. I was doubly blessed getting to meet them and share an hour and also a lesson I won't forget ! If you want a change in your life too come out and join Servolution !