“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).

Nashville Rescue Mission is the “city on a hill.” A hill, you say. We are in the gulch! In the old days, a city would be built on a hill to magnify its presence. It was a strategic placement. We may not be on a literal hill, but we are strategically placed—the Mission and each person—to reflect God’s glory to a watching world. I pray that you will continue to live out that strategy.

This is my 461st Chaplain’s Corner, and my final one as Chaplain for these past nearly nine years. I am so grateful that our former CEO, Glenn Cranfield, saw fit to create this position out of his love for you all. And I am so grateful that I was chosen to fulfill this role, such an opportunity for me. And I’m especially grateful to our new CEO, Stephanie, for expanding the role in such a meaningful way, out of her love for you and for those we serve.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of each of your lives—to walk with you in the hard times and to rejoice with you in the good times. I love each and every one of you—staff, program participants, and guests. Those of you who have experienced multiple roles—guest and/or participant as well as staff—have always had a special place in my heart and in my prayers. I have been blessed with a rewarding career of more than 50 years, but I will treasure most of all these past fourteen years with Nashville Rescue Mission. God has done great things here at the Mission, and I am confident that He will continue to work through you to do so. My prayer is that with God and through you, Nashville Rescue Mission will be a safe and loving place for everyone; that godly knowledge and wisdom will grow; that hearts, souls, and faith will be nurtured; that the Mission will truly reflect the love of Jesus to everyone touched in any way by this place.

These are my ongoing prayers for each of you:

• May blessings abound for you.
• May every thought and prayer be a sweet and lasting aroma.
• May all our desires result in obedience to the Lord; may every word we speak be pleasing to you, O Lord.
• May every effort glorify God.
• May we serve as the hands and feet of Jesus.
• May each hand reach out to one another in love; and may each connection manifest the power of the Holy Spirit.
• May God be with you always.

“…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always…” (Isaiah 58:10-11a).

In Christ,

Judy