Road to 5,000.
Five days until Philly.
There is still so much I want to get done.
There are still so many hugs yet to give.
But only five days remain.
I’ve thought about packing, it really needs to be done, but more important things are at hand.
Today we ordered 5,000 collars for our Battle Pups.
It was crazy. I almost didn’t do it.
5,000.
One of my best friends, Kelly, was there helping me prep pups to be given at a foster event while we are gone as well as some for some children’s protective service agents to hand out in our county.
“5,000 is the goal, right?” Kelly asked as I wavered between ordering 1,000 or 1,500.
Yes. 5,000 is the goal.
But I have never ordered that many at once. The truth is though, I’m just the past two weeks we have quickly blown through over 300.
But 5,000. It’s still crazy to me.
But we are believing for it.
And we are praying God provides.
By the time we factor all the shipping costs and packing materials, it will take close $100,000 to make it happen.
One hundred thousand dollars.
And that doesn’t even count our time to facilitate making it all happen.
But faith. It is what you have when God plants a seed in your heart and you are believing it to grow.
I selected the 5,000 box and clicked the cart button.
I looked at her and she did her grin and head nod and walked out of the office.
5,000.
That is the goal.
That’s Brady’s goal.
That is what we are praying for.
“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”
Faith is the reality of what is hoped for.
It is the proof of what is not seen.
I don’t see $100,000 in our way to battle bank account, but I have faith it will be realized.
I clicked the “order” button and sat back in my office chair.
“Ok Brady Martin.” I thought to myself, “You want 5,000 lives to be impacted, let’s do it.”
Across town, today was Brady’s final appointment here in Columbus.
He delivered 25 pups today during his weekly lab draw and weight check.
Which, praise God, his weight was up. Sure, he is only up .3 ounces and that doesn’t seem like much, but the reality is that for the first time in months, he hasn’t lost weight this week.
A normal hospital day for us used to include handing out twelve battle pups.
But lately the need has been far too great and we always run out.
So we’ve upped the ante. The past three weeks Brady has taken 20 to hand out, as well as deliver the ones for the inpatient kiddos who have been nominated.
Today may have been our final day at NCH for a few months, but our work is far from done.
And while we should be packing clothes and stuff to make our place in Philly somewhat feel like home for the holidays, we have decided to take a different route.
On Sunday, our van won’t be packed with a Christmas tree, family stockings, cozy blankets, and a ton of clothes for our month in Philly.
Nope.
We are packing the minimum to make space for something far greater.
Our plan, stuff our van full of as many battle pups as we can to be able to impact the city of Philadelphia.
God has placed us in a new mission field for the season of Christmas.
And what better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior then by showing people the unexpected love of a stranger.
Sometimes you can’t find the good in what is happening around you.
But you can always be the good.
So go.
Go be the good thing in a bad situation.
And maybe, just maybe, we will look back and realize that the thing we were dreading was actually a blessing.
Shields up.
Swords out.
Go be the good thing,
Kristin
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Nominate warriors battling hard things or donate towards the mission of 5,000 by going to www.WayToBattle.com