Tad and I, like so many others, felt the weight of darkness and hatred beat down on us relentlessly and wondered how we could defeat it.  Our Pastor, Joe Gerhart, had encouraged the church family to step outside of our comfort zones and to let the Holy Spirit work through us in bringing light to bear…easier said than done. What difference could we make?
 
On the afternoon of September 24, we were driving to the store and stopped at a red light. A homeless man asking for help. We wanted to help him, but didn't have any cash. As the light turned green,  I noticed he only had one shoe and was limping.  I told Tad and, with one of his cynical smiles, he said “Nice touch." As we turned the corner, I asked “Can't we just buy him some shoes and bring them back?” Without hesitation, Tad answered “Of course we can…and some socks.”  “And a jacket and some snacks”, I added. 
 
By the time we arrived at SAM’s Club we were excited to help. We went right to the shoe department and realized we had no idea of what shoe size to buy.  As we stood in front of the stacks of sturdy boots, debating, Tad looked at me and said “You're not going to believe this, but a voice just told me 9 ½.” We grabbed the boots, socks, jacket, and a few other items and headed back to the intersection, hoping he would still be there. At the light, we were several cars back, so I hopped out and walked up to him and said “Hey bud…we noticed you were in need of some shoes so we brought you some.”  He turned, looked at the box, looked me in the eyes and said “That’s the right size! God Bless you!” as if I had somehow passed a test. He immediately sat down to put them on.  The last thing we saw as we drove away was this man sitting by the side of the road with his back to the traffic, looking like a kid on Christmas morning, everything besides his new shoes and socks forgotten.
 

On the drive home, we felt something lift. The heaviness we had been carrying began to fade, replaced by an overwhelming and unexpected joy. We couldn’t stop talking about it in the days that followed. What started as a single act of compassion began to take shape as an idea: reaching people in a personal, tangible way by providing the most basic necessities. Shoes. Socks. Warmth. Dignity. Perhaps this could become something more—an outreach within our own community.
 

All that remained was a name.
 

A few nights later, as I was drifting off to sleep, the numbers 9-1-2 kept repeating in my mind. They were still there when I woke the next morning. Curious and uncertain, I opened the Bible, unsure where to begin. As I scanned the list of books, one stood out almost immediately—Second Corinthians. When I turned to chapter 9, verses 9 through 12, everything fell into place.
 

Those verses speak of God supplying seed to the sower and bread for food, of generosity multiplying and service meeting real needs while overflowing in thanksgiving to God. In that moment, we understood: what happened at that intersection was never meant to end with one pair of shoes. It was meant to grow.
 

And that is how Harvest912 was born—out of obedience, generosity, and the simple truth that when we step out in faith, God can use even the smallest act to bring light, restore dignity, and begin a harvest far greater than we could imagine.