A Pathfinder Responding to the Call from God

by Daniel Dailey, UGM volunteer

I used to think, “If I’m going to be involved with anything like UGM, it needs to be effective.” The Holy Spirit said, “Am I not effective when my children are involved?” It took away all my excuses. Knowing God is with me, I just need to be present. I started serving at UGM and became a pathfinder at the Men’s Shelter, helping with guest intake and being the first point of care.

I planned to meet guests, have real conversations, and build relationships over time. But I learned that 50-75% of those guys may not even be there for the next week. Whether it’s just one time or it’s continued, the Lord put on my heart: If I just have that one moment, what an opportunity. Only the Lord knows who is going to be there, and I get to meet with them. There’s a divine encounter there.

Most of the guys I meet with have been at UGM for a day or two. I ask, “How has everybody been treating you? How are things going?” Without fail, they say, “It’s going pretty well. Better than I expected. Everybody’s treating me great.” Whether I’m having a good day or a bad day, I trust that the Lord is doing something. I’ve had experiences where I feel like the Holy Spirit was involved.

“Only the Lord knows who is going to be there, and I get to meet with them.”

One day, I introduced myself to a man in the day room. He said he’d messed up in life and wanted to get right with the Lord. We talked about how self-righteousness will never make us right with the Lord; trust in Christ is the only way. When a person says, “I need you Jesus,” the Lord understands.

I told him, “At any point in time, the Lord is available to you. Just call out to Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and wash you clean.” We prayed together and that man asked the Lord into his life. Soon after, he brought over a friend and said, “He needs to hear what we talked about.” That guest ended up accepting the Lord, too. We prayed and talked more the next day.

It isn’t an everyday occurrence that the Lord allows me to pick ripe fruit and help someone receive Christ. It was pretty awesome.

The Lord has sustained me, even when life wasn’t easy. Sometimes, because of that grace, people like me forget what life was like when we weren’t walking with the Lord. There’s a tendency to start judging people that aren’t getting it, thinking, “What’s the deal? Why are you on the street?” That’s one thing that the Lord is stripping away in me. He desires everyone to know Him and have freedom. It doesn’t matter how or why they got where they’re at—His love is indiscriminate.

“I once saw UGM as a man-centered organization, but I now see it wouldn’t be what it is without the Lord.”

I’m consistently surprised at how much is being done at UGM, even with the turnover of shelter guests. It takes a lot for this organization to run. I once saw UGM as a man-centered organization, but I now see it wouldn’t be what it is without the Lord.

People volunteer for different reasons; I’m serving out of my relationship with the Lord. To anybody who is looking for an opportunity to get involved where the Lord is working, attend a volunteer overview at UGM. There’s plenty of opportunity. Listen to what the Lord puts on your heart.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities like this one, visit www.uniongospelmission.org/volunteer.