Sitting on my desk in a dollar store frame is a handwritten scripture that I have as a constant reminder of my mission. The scripture is Jeremiah 29: 7 "Seek the welfare of the city I have sent you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper." I sat at my kitchen table and read this scripture fully awakened that THIS was important to me. As the years have come and gone I have prayed for my city, I have walked the west side of the town and proclaimed Jesus as Lord here. I have interceded for those who live here, I have prayed for wisdom, and I have prayed for my city. While many are running away and getting out, I can't help but see my nursing heart in this because I am running towards my city. My city needs me, and it needs you too. Let me tell you a little bit about my story and my heart for my city.I live in Uhrichsville, Ohio, I call it Uville now because I believe it starts with you. I grew up here, was sexually abused here, lived in poverty here, and learned about grit here. We in Uville have a reputation, and we are known by it. I grew up knowing we were rednecks, fighters, rough people. My family had a bad reputation in the town, but let's be honest I had seven ornery uncles, who were boys, and it really wasn't my fault, and they are amazing men who love their family. But boys in the middle of their journey sometimes are ornery. In elementary school, teachers were not the nicest to me because of my last name, and I had to apologize because my uncles left such a fun impression. (Don't worry I love all of them and they would literally fight anyone who hurt me.)
Add to that those who didn't live in Uhrichsville said not such beautiful things about us. Our phone numbers start with 922, and they said: "If you need help, call 911 if you want trouble, call 922." I grew up knowing that we were rough, that we were poor, that we were not the cream of the crop. I grew up on one of the most impoverished streets on the west side and were fighting was a natural part of our childhood with other kids. You either fought or you got beat up. I grew up thinking I just wanted to get out of here, and I did. I spent two years in Atlanta and couldn't wait to come home to marry the boy I loved from here. I missed our small community, I missed the good hearts of my rough neighbors, and most of all, I missed my boyfriend who would then be my husband.
In 2005 we bought our first house in Uville and shortly after the housing market crashed and our house depreciated by 50%. We planned to move in a few years, neither one of us saw Uville as our stopping place. I can tell you God has had other plans for us, and I believe that to my core. A few years back, we finally put our house up on the market and without success. In my frustration, I sat at my desk and opened my Bible, and this scripture jumped out at me. I sat in disbelief, looking at Jeremiah 29, and I heard God say, "I sent you here."
To give context, Jeremiah was sending this chapter to those who were in captivity in the Babylonian city. People prayed that God would rescue them with a great deliverer and Jeremiah's response from the Lord was not that they would be removed from their cities but that God would be with them in the middle of it. Most people like the part from verse 11 that says: I have plans to prosper you." Oh, we LOVE that verse, we really like prosperity. But I have clung to verse seven in my frustration and telling God I didn't want to be here anymore. I felt like the children of Israel stuck in a city they didn't want to be in, and wondering if God was punishing them. I told God, "I shouldn't have to deal with the messes I didn't make, I shouldn't have to chase drug dealers off of my street. I shouldn't have to watch as a community seems to be torn apart" And yet, this verse stared at me every day reminding me that God has sent me here and he has sent you to your city too. I believe now more than ever that God is calling Christians to live on mission in their cities. To stop fighting over the same 10 people, to stop competing against each other and arguing doctrine, and be the church. He is not asking us to hide in our churches, praying for the second coming, and avoiding those who live in our city, He is looking for a people willing to go into the dark places and shine the light of Jesus. Here are several things I am actively doing to be all in my city.
The first thing we can do in our cities is to make it our home and be all in. This may mean starting a business, teaching a class, or getting involved in community activities. God has called us to Uville, and here, we shall stay until He calls us somewhere else. So this means that I am engaging with my neighbors, I am aware of my surroundings and am doing things to make my home inviting and welcoming for those who live here. This may mean bringing cookies to the widow or loving on the elderly couple across the street from us, or waving at our neighbor who enjoys sitting on his porch. I want to be in the world even though I know I am not of it.
Seek the welfare
I worked in our ER in our small community, and I was utterly awakened to the desperation of the drug epidemic killing our community. I am compassionate towards those who are addicted to drugs, but I am vigilant when it comes to dealers. I have no compassion because they are bringing addiction to my community. If I am seeking the welfare of my city those who are in direct opposition I am in opposition with. After almost a year of having constant issues with those selling drugs on my street, I do not hesitate to call the police for suspicious activity. You only have to hold an orphan once, who lost both of their parents to drugs before you decide to do something, anything to at least disrupt the system. I am not going to single-handedly stop the war on drugs, but I am going to use my voice to disrupt the system. I am now a home care nurse in my city, but until my dying day, I will remember the cries of parents holding the bodies of their young adult children. I will never forget the look of utter hopelessness of the children who are being informed they are now orphans. The welfare of the city includes the least of these. It includes the poor, the homeless, the captives, the widows, and the orphans. We need men and women seeking the welfare of our cities, and I am standing in the gap for Uville.
Pray to God for your city.
The phrase "You do you boo" is sometimes overused but here I will tell you: do you. Because I am going to do me and I have been praying for my city for the last seven years and doing what little I can to seek the welfare of my city. But the biggest thing I do is pray over my city. I pray for the officials, for the commerce, for the people. I pray street by street, school by school, and business by business. Every day before I get my kids from school, I drive on the street behind my house. I pray over every car, every home, and every person on that street at least once a day. Why? Because this is the hot spot for drug activity and I will pray that God brings his light into these dark places Can you imagine what would happen if the Christians of a community spent time seeking God's plan over our cities? Praying for a strategy that will bring health and prosperity to our cities, our communities, our old, our young, and our most vulnerable? I am proclaiming that God will flip the curse that others have spoken over our people.
My name is Cassie, and I am all into my city, I am all into planting ourselves here, on seeking the welfare of this city. I am here to not try and get people to do what I want but to serve my community. Will you join me?
