In 2025, I had the privilege of being the first house mom at Bridget’s House for four moms who had been homeless and nine children (3 three-year-olds who had never known a permanent home). I will never forget a three-year-old boy who came with his mom for the interview. His mom was living at the mission. As they walked through the house, this little boy looked out the back window. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement: “Mom! Mom! Look! They have a park!”

A park! It really was a swing set and slide. To him, it was amazing. I have thought about that little boy many times since then. Because what he saw wasn't just a playground. He saw a place where he could play. A place that felt welcoming. A place where there was room for him.

And I began to realize something that changed the way I thought about serving people. We can become so focused on helping people that we forget to know people. We provide housing. We provide food. We provide resources. And those things matter.

But people need something else just as desperately. They need relationships. They need someone who knows their name. Someone who notices when they're having a hard day. Someone who laughs with them. Someone who celebrates with them. Someone who sits at the table. Someone who says, “Come on in.” Someone who is willing to let them become part of everyday life.

That is what I learned during my year as a house mom at Bridget's House. The most meaningful moments weren't always the big moments. Sometimes they were incredibly ordinary. A meal together. A conversation in the kitchen. A laugh. A prayer. Looking out the window and seeing the children playing together in the backyard park.

Those ordinary moments created something extraordinary: belonging, making a connection. There are people all around us who are lonely, people who are struggling. They're looking for someone to walk with them. Would you ask yourself, “How can I make room for people I do not know in my life?”

Because sometimes the most life-changing ministry isn't something extraordinary. It’s giving a couple nights that Valley Church members did to set up the playset. Sometimes it's giving two hours a week to come care for the children while another volunteer facilitates a Bible Study. Sometimes simply allowing someone to become part of your everyday life by having a mom and children meet you at the park for a picnic.

Who needs a relationship along with the resource that was given?

At Thrive on Purpose, we believe transformation begins when we See People. Share Love. Serve Neighbors.

It starts with seeing the person in front of us. Then we share love—not just through what we do, but through who we are willing to be with them. And then we serve—not from a distance, but from a relationship. Because people don't just need help. People need people.

And sometimes changing someone's life begins with something as simple as opening the door and saying: “Come in. You can be part of our life.”

And maybe, if we're willing to slow down enough to see them, we'll discover that they change our lives too.

‍