Why Memphis?

I leave in 6 hours to return to my second favorite place in the world and my heart is absolutely jumping for joy. I want to close my eyes and wake up in Brinkley Heights, but I've got an 8-9 hour ride first. People probably think I'm crazy for spending that much time on the road to visit such a rough place and spend time with people who may not even care for what I have to say; to those people I say, it's worth every traffic jam we may get stuck in, every rude comment, every disobedient child, and every suffocatingly hot afternoon at Bible Club.
 My heart is there, but "why?", you ask. You know when you go somewhere and you absolutely fall in love with it? That's Memphis for me. It ranges from the children who just need love, to the elderly in the Highlands, and everything in between. It's the desperate cry for God in a city full of music history and too much darkness. It's knowing that I'm reminding the people of Memphis that I come in contact with, that they are still loved. It's knowing that for one of the most dangerous cities in America, I can still make a difference and instill hope. When I go to Memphis, I reconnect with the part of my heart I left there. I don't feel scared in Memphis, but I feel at home; I feel like I'm supposed to be there. Memphis gives me the humility that home can't; at home I'm blessed, in Memphis I see people far from that. I know that's everywhere, but when I go to the part of Memphis I do, that's all I see. It probably sounds odd to people when I say that inner city Memphis is my second favorite place in the world, but it is hands down! I'm blessed for the people I have met and the experiences I have had during the times I've been in Memphis. I can only thank God for keeping my heart in Memphis. I can only thank God for giving me such a passion for a place like inner city Memphis.