Providence (36 page)

And tomorrow, a winding, gently sloping ramp will connect her porch to the sidewalk. Mrs. Williams will be able to navigate the ramp on her own. Kendra hugged Peter when he’d showed her the design today. Mrs. Williams would have hugged him too, but she was under the oak tree, a boy of three curled up in her lap, listening to a story about a baby scooped up from a river. A baby who would someday become a great leader.

I couldn’t help but wonder as Peter told me about this on the phone a few moments ago just what future lies ahead for that little boy. Will he, too, become a great leader?

The air-conditioning is broken at the CMO offices and all the windows in the old two-story brick Victorian are open, some held in place by blocks of wood—one by a rarely-used hole-punch. No one is complaining, though, because the bright light and an occasional breeze have made us all a little giddy with the promise of summer. We feel like playing hooky. It is Friday after all.

Aaron just emerged from his office to tell us that a car dealership in town has committed to donating a shuttle van to us. We’ll use it to cart crews and materials around Norwood and shuttle car-less residents to and from church and school and grocery stores whenever possible. Aaron dreams of building a school in Norwood one day and of having enough shuttle vans to taxi the elderly to well-care visits and carry potential-filled children on day trips into the world beyond to see how far-reaching their growing gifts can take them someday.

Nancy’s in the office. It is a rare Friday tour of duty for this generous teacher, who usually is so exhausted by the end of the week. She heads home after classes to get one good night’s sleep so she can wake early and join one of our teams on a work-site Saturday morning. She and Mrs. Burman are downstairs in the lobby, anticipating the return of the first crews—the ones that started their work right about dawn.

Peter will be back soon and light the grill we keep out back. A few students—some we know well, others are curious strangers—are already beginning to congregate. Dozens of hot dogs and buns (donated by our new friends at the Dogs ’n’ More restaurant down the street) await their destiny, satisfying the hunger of sweaty volunteers and friends of CMO.

One of the students, Tyson Howry, has just turned up the volume on his truck stereo. A Bob Marley tune is playing. Thank goodness for the classics. The music will soon mix with the smells of the grill and the sounds of laughter. From the deck on the second floor we can see Mike Johnson—our resident expert concrete pourer—and two other guys playing basketball. One of the students painted the words “Life Is Good” on the backboard.

John Lowell, a recent graduate who doesn’t want to stop volunteering even though he just started a “real” job at a local law firm, drove a team to the West Street overpass today to paint over graffiti. I can see John’s truck returning now. This is the most popular work CMO does around Norwood, probably because it is so visible. Our crews routinely receive applause and shouts of support when we send out a paint team.

That applause is a good thing. We don’t always get to see the fruits of our labor. Support and cheers are food for the students’ souls, a confirmation that they’re doing something of value. The hot dogs and the laughter will help too.

But I’m still thinking about that young boy in Mrs. Williams’s lap, imagining that scene as if I were standing there next to Peter. It reminds me of another scene, one from Scripture.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’” (Matthew 19:14).

I love that picture.

While this is a fictional account of a man and his mission to make a difference in the local community, there are hundreds of real-life inspirational stories happening every day. Maybe you have a
Laborers
story. Write it down and send it to me via the Web site,
www.providencebook.com
. Tell about how you or others have reached out with compassion to those who have little. And if you don’t have a story, flip over to the resources page and find a way to plug into an organization that’s making a difference in the world.

Resources

Want to make a difference? Get involved in your local community like Jack Clayton did in
Providence
. There are hundreds of excellent organizations dedicated to serving those who don’t have the resources, time, or ability to help themselves. Check with your local social services agencies and colleges to see what programs are available and how you can help. Or check out any of these Web sites for more information on a few organizations I highly recommend.

Eastern University (
www.eastern.edu
)—Eastern is a Christian university dedicated to “the preparation of undergraduate and graduate students for thoughtful and productive lives of Christian faith and service.”

Habitat for Humanity (
www.habitat.org
)—Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that is dedicated to eliminating homelessness and to making decent shelter a matter of conscience. Habitat has already provided more than one million people with safe, affordable shelter.

Mission Year (
www.missionyear.org
)—Mission Year is a yearlong program (in partnership with local churches) that gives eighteen- to twenty-nine-year-old Christian young people the opportunity to make a real difference in a neighborhood through volunteering, worshipping God, and loving their neighbors.

Rockbridge Seminary (
www.rockbridgeseminary.org
)—Rockbridge Seminary is an online seminary designed with the concerns of the local church in mind. The seminary is based on the Purpose Driven model, balancing training in worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and ministry.

And here are just a few more organizations that reach out to the poor, the hungry, the widow, and the orphan both nationally and internationally.

Compassion International (
www.compassion.com
)

I.N. Network (
www.innetworkusa.org
)

James Fund (Family Christian Stores Foundation)
(
www.jamesfund.org
)

Mercy Ministries (
www.mercyministries.org
)

World Vision (
www.worldvision.org
)

Author Interview

Q: How would you summarize the story you tell in Providence?

A:
Providence
is set in a fictitious college town and tells the story of a pastor named Jack Clayton who writes a best-selling book, much to everyone’s surprise (especially his own), and finds himself a reluctant media darling (and target). The last thing Jack wants to do is discuss his past, but that’s exactly what happens. Prompted by circumstances, relationships with his closest friends, and the still, small voice of God, Jack begins to tell his personal story in a memoir. Because of his faithfulness, God begins to heal the past and restore the most essential relationships in his life.

Q: As the host of Soul2Soul Radio, your Christian celebrity interviews are heard all over the world. How does this experience inform Providence, a story where the main character is a Christian icon, who ironically won’t do interviews?

A: One thing I’ve noticed about Christian recording artists and authors is that most of them enjoy having a platform to share about things that matter most to them. It’s part of the way they’re built. I was intrigued by the idea of a story featuring a character like Jack Clayton who
wasn’t
“built” that way. I wanted to explore what it would be like for an introvert like Jack to be thrust into the spotlight and proclaim Christ in a very public forum. I think it’s fascinating to watch him deal with the crisis of obedience to God in a culture that is most foreign to him.

Q: There are a few clear “good guys” and “bad guys” in Providence. The media is an unlikely and controversial bad guy. Why did you cast cable news and newspapers in this light?

A: The news media is one of the principal shapers of the information we receive. Consequently, the media is the dominant purveyor of how we view the world around us. That’s a considerable amount of power. We’re used to seeing bad guys in books and movies acting as independent agents. But because the power of the media is a reality in our real world, I wanted to explore how Jack Clayton, using faith alone, would fight this battle.

Q: Why did you choose to write Providence primarily as a love story? You’re a male author … shouldn’t you be writing about car chases and explosions?

A:
Providence
is primarily a story about one man’s lifelong love for a woman, but it’s also about God’s eternal love for everyone. I think women are curious about what men really think about romantic love and the idea of soul mates. Well, that’s what I decided to give them—an inside look, so to speak, of one man’s view on infatuation, love, and commitment.

Q: Providence is set in the pop culture of the 1980s as well the current time. Why did you choose these two eras?

A: I think because the contrast is so striking, these two eras work well together. Even though the Cold War continued into the 1980s, we think of that time as idyllic now. This was before the highly technical computer/cell phone/PDA culture, before the intrusive but necessary airport-security screenings. It was the last great era of pop music, and the last season that saw baby boomers coming of age. The 1980s is a fascinating era on it’s own, but when readers of
Providence
experience the contrasts between the two eras, it really shows how far we’ve come.

Q: You’re promoting your debut novel in a novel way. What can you tell our audience about Providence Cares?

A: In my own life, I’ve watched friends, church members, and people in my community face catastrophic illnesses. It’s a common misconception that health insurance or state agencies cover treatment and after-care costs for significant health issues like these. They don’t. Families are shocked to learn they must raise tens of thousands of dollars on their own, and that’s an incredible task. Providence Cares is a way for a family to raise some of that money in a single night. It’s essentially an event based around my book that churches and individuals can host for a needy family. I’ll come and speak at the event and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the family toward their care and expenses. I see this as a practical, real-world example of the kind of community ministry Jack Clayton did in the book. It’s just my small way of trying to put feet on the ideas presented in
Providence
. (For updates and more information, families can visit
www.providencebook.com
.)