We recently caught up with Jerel Bland, Lead Pastor of The HOPE church in Detroit, to discuss the state and direction of The HOPE church and the K-Love Hope Center:
There are so many things we go through in life that we either see as extremely difficult or extremely rewarding. We rarely see the possibility of both occurring simultaneously. However for some of us, something beautiful transpires when we do. When we decide to breathe in this space that exists in between difficulty & reward. The space in between being planted and reaching full bloom. This cocoon we must pass through in order to go from crawling to flying. It is that painful yet necessary period or process that we know as…Transition.
For us getting the K-Love Hope Center up & running has been the very definition of transition. It’s like we have lived there. Now many would say that isn’t a good thing, but I would say to that, “you’re right, it’s not a good thing, it’s a great thing!” Many of you have heard the stories. From the conception of this things have switched from buildings to vision and everything in between. Since then we’ve seen a weed filled parking lot transition into a community block party mainstay. We’ve watched a cold, institution feeling, office space transition into a place of refuge for kids. We’ve witnessed an old historic garage transition into a place of worship. Now…Accomplishing those things were extremely difficult, yes, but well worth the reward!
Our current goal and place of transition has been and continues to be: to build a place that we can build lives in, and we are watching it happen! We have quite a ways to go but we go! I share these things in hopes of maybe inspiring someone. Transitions are so much bigger than Tuesday’s but I do agree that they deserve a day to be recognized. So, the question is what transition are you recognizing in your life? What is it that you are currently going through that appears extremely difficult? Whatever it is, be encouraged!
I know to you it may just be a building; but for many of us it’s a fulfilled promised and the manifestation and collision of faith and dreaming. It has been every bit of painful and simultaneously joyful! The thing that makes you say “wow” on the inside is not the building. It’s the makeover…It’s the metamorphosis…It’s the transition! And continually blossoming is a beautiful space to live in.
