I wrote this yesterday on Facebook but decided to put it here too...isn't that why I created this blog thing anyway??
I was driving on I-75 through Tennessee this morning. It was raining pretty hard and visibility was getting worse by the minute. As I drove, I saw a little black car that was pretty smashed up; it looked like it hit the guard rail on the left side of the highway. I saw two people outside of the car holding each other. One was older, probably the mother, and the other was a bit younger, probably the daughter.
I pulled over on the highway a few yards past them and grabbed my phone. As I ran towards their car, I could see a baby in the back seat (the front of the car was pretty much completely gone). Luckily, everyone was okay and the daughter had just called 911. They were surprised that someone stopped in the pouring rain to offer help.
As I walked back to my car I wondered one simple question: Why hadn't anyone else stopped? How many of the dozens of drivers that drove by in that short time saw and yet continued to drive by. Some probably called 911 from inside of their own car, some may not have seen anything while others, no doubt saw and chose to just keep driving thinking that someone else will help.
Whether you are Christian or not, I believe that the following story has meaning to us all: A man was traveling when he was robbed, beaten and left for dead. A priest walked by - on the other side of the road. A Levite walked by - also on the other side of the road. Finally, a Samaritan man walked by. He saw the man on the ground, bandaged his wounds and paid for him to be nursed back to health. After telling this story, Jesus asked "which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who was beaten?"
Again I have to ask, why did no one else stop this morning? Was it because it was raining? Were they just in a hurry? Did they have something better to do? I bet those people who crashed had somewhere to be too. I'm sure that crashing their car in the pouring rain wasn't exactly on the top of their to-do list this morning. So, why is our culture one that seems to just pass by? It is as if we (and I do not exclude myself from this) have the mentality that "someones else will help". The problem is that those in need do not need "someone else to help"; they just need help. I wish that our culture was one that stopped rather than passing by.
Dr. Herb Lee once wrote: "...As a foundation in today’s world, it is compulsory that each Friar performs his most basic public responsibility-the devotion to live most to serve others best." Though he wrote this as a call to action the Friars' Society at WCU, I believe that Herb would agree that we should all live in such a manner.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Breaking out of a warehouse
The following is an excerpt from Eat This Book, by Eugene H. Peterson (http://www.amazon.com/Eat-This-Book-Conversation-Spiritual/dp/0802829481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245196175&sr=8-1).
This passage really had me thinking this past week. How often do we limit ourselves to our own little warehouse? Go back and re read the text in red. This is what really hit me. The people outside were getting so excited about an airplane, or clouds, or birds flying. I kind of missed over this at first. Then, as I read over it again, I started to ask myself why we don't get that excited over the little things. Do you remember being a child and staring up at the clouds? I feel like as we grow older it's no longer "acceptable" to get excited over small, seemingly "insignificant" things such as a shape in the clouds.
The rest of the adult world wants to call it "immature" to be so excited about minor things. To laugh and have fun at work must mean that something is wrong with you. To make time during the day to get some fresh air must mean that you aren't working hard enough. To sit in the trunk of your hatchback trunk and sip a hot cup of tea while admiring and laughing at the funny shapes in the clouds is a waste of time (yes, I did this on this past Sunday morning. My lawn furniture was wet from the rain and I didn't want to dirty a towel drying the chairs). To be thankful to be busy at work because it means you're working for a growing company means that you must be sucking up to your boss. To love a free toy from a box of cereal and keep it on your desk at work to play with randomly means that you haven't grown up yet. To occasionally turn up the car radio and rock out to a silly song is juvenile. And I could go on and on....
Please, don't misunderstand me here. There is definitely a time and a place to be serious, focused and professional. And I do know how to be those things, and I am very good at it. But here's the truth, as I see it. To be able to get excited over the little things is healthy! Proverbs 17:22 says that, "A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones". So, why can't I have fun at work? Why shouldn't I get fresh air during the day if it makes me smile? Why should I have to be so stressed out all day that I just feel bitter? Why is it that the rest of the world seems to want to quiet me for doing what I can to be in a good mood?
Again, please don't misunderstand me; I have my bad days too. I have times where I do get stressed over things. Days where I just want to be left alone for a bit.
But, I don't want to be stuck in a warehouse not knowing what else is out there. I want to break a hole in the wall and get out of the warehouse and see what the people outside are getting excited about. And if that happens to be a cloud that looks like man chasing a dog with a rolled up newspaper, than so be it! I'm making it my goal this summer to think more positively and love the little things in life. Who's with me? Who else will ignore that voice saying "grow up" and just let lose a bit? Who else will take some time to just watch the clouds roll by? Anyone??
That's it. Sorry this is long...
LESS THAN ONE MONTH UNTIL KENYA!!! :)
Imagine a group of men and women in a huge warehouse. They were born in this warehouse, grew up in it, and have everything there for their needs and comfort. There are no exits to the building but there are windows. But the windows are thick with dust, are never cleaned, and so no one bothers to look out. Why would they? The warehouse is everything they know, has everything they need. But then one day one of the children drags a step stool under one of the windows, scrapes off the grime, and look out. He sees people walking on the streets; he calls to his friends to come and look. They crowd around the window - they never new a world existed outside their warehouse. And then they notice a person out in the street looking up and pointing; soon several people are gathered, looking up and talking excitedly. The children look up but there is nothing to see but the roof of their warehouse. They finally get tired of watching these people out on the street acting crazily, pointing up at nothing and getting excited about it. What's the point of stopping for no reason at all, pointing at nothing at all, and talking up a storm about the nothing?
But what those people in the street were looking at was an airplane (or geese in flight, or a giant pile of cumulus clouds). The people in the street look up and see the heavens and everything in the heavens. The warehouse people have no heavens above them, just a roof.
What would happen, though, if one day one of those kids cut a door out of the warehouse, coaxed his friends out, and discovered the immense sky above them and the grand horizons beyond them? That is what happens...when we open the Bible - we enter the totally unfamiliar world of God, a world of creation and salvation stretching endlessly above and beyond us. Life in the warehouse never prepared us for anything like this.
Typically, adults in the warehouse scoff at the tales the children bring back. After all, they are completely in control of the warehouse world in ways they could never be outside. And they want to keep it that way.
This passage really had me thinking this past week. How often do we limit ourselves to our own little warehouse? Go back and re read the text in red. This is what really hit me. The people outside were getting so excited about an airplane, or clouds, or birds flying. I kind of missed over this at first. Then, as I read over it again, I started to ask myself why we don't get that excited over the little things. Do you remember being a child and staring up at the clouds? I feel like as we grow older it's no longer "acceptable" to get excited over small, seemingly "insignificant" things such as a shape in the clouds.
The rest of the adult world wants to call it "immature" to be so excited about minor things. To laugh and have fun at work must mean that something is wrong with you. To make time during the day to get some fresh air must mean that you aren't working hard enough. To sit in the trunk of your hatchback trunk and sip a hot cup of tea while admiring and laughing at the funny shapes in the clouds is a waste of time (yes, I did this on this past Sunday morning. My lawn furniture was wet from the rain and I didn't want to dirty a towel drying the chairs). To be thankful to be busy at work because it means you're working for a growing company means that you must be sucking up to your boss. To love a free toy from a box of cereal and keep it on your desk at work to play with randomly means that you haven't grown up yet. To occasionally turn up the car radio and rock out to a silly song is juvenile. And I could go on and on....
Please, don't misunderstand me here. There is definitely a time and a place to be serious, focused and professional. And I do know how to be those things, and I am very good at it. But here's the truth, as I see it. To be able to get excited over the little things is healthy! Proverbs 17:22 says that, "A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones". So, why can't I have fun at work? Why shouldn't I get fresh air during the day if it makes me smile? Why should I have to be so stressed out all day that I just feel bitter? Why is it that the rest of the world seems to want to quiet me for doing what I can to be in a good mood?
Again, please don't misunderstand me; I have my bad days too. I have times where I do get stressed over things. Days where I just want to be left alone for a bit.
But, I don't want to be stuck in a warehouse not knowing what else is out there. I want to break a hole in the wall and get out of the warehouse and see what the people outside are getting excited about. And if that happens to be a cloud that looks like man chasing a dog with a rolled up newspaper, than so be it! I'm making it my goal this summer to think more positively and love the little things in life. Who's with me? Who else will ignore that voice saying "grow up" and just let lose a bit? Who else will take some time to just watch the clouds roll by? Anyone??
That's it. Sorry this is long...
LESS THAN ONE MONTH UNTIL KENYA!!! :)
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Blessings
I haven't written anything on here in a bit. So, for the 2 or 3 people who make read this - sorry!
I'm gearing up for Kenya in July! It's pretty amazing to see how things are falling into place. We had our first meeting a little while ago. Originally, our flights were going to cost close to $2,000. Faith, who is leading this trip, was able to get flights for less than $1,300! How amazing is that! God is definitely taking care of us here and it's so encouraging to witness it all. I've even had some people that I wouldn't have expected to donate funds that have asked me if they could help support me financially in this trip. I'm looking forward to how this trip is going to change me. When we met with Daniel a while back, he kept telling us not to come to Kenya expecting to change the country, but rather to expect that Kenya will change us. I'm already seeing it too.
Tonight, I was talking with Mike at bible study and somehow it came up that there is currently a woman in the US from Brazil speaking about her ministry there with the orphans. Mike was describing a little bit about it. I'm actually going to this dinner tomorrow night to hear her speak with one of the other guys at Mike's practice. I'm not sure what this will lead to. I'm keeping an open mind about where I will end up though. I told Mike tonight that it's not really a question of if I will serve outside of the country, it's a question of when and where. I can say that very confidently too.
This leads to the title of this particular blog - BLESSINGS. I was driving a bit tonight and thinking about a lot of things that I have experienced in life, especially before my adoption. I remember a lot of different abuses and living on the streets with my mom and sister. Long story short - it was a pretty dark time. I used to wonder why I had to go through some of it. I've reached a conclusion a while ago that it has to be to help others through it. As I spent some time driving and praying tonight, I thought how blessed I am to have experienced so much! I have experienced what it is to feel so neglected and wonder what it is to have loving parents. I have also gotten to experience the opposite end of the spectrum where I have two amazing parents that love me. I have not just one, but two amazing families that love me and support me in everything I do. It reminds me of Joseph's response to his brothers as they begged for his forgiveness. He told that that what they meant for evil, God meant for good.
I know that what I have been through is nothing compared to what so many children around the world have to endure day in and day out. I think that Mike said it pretty well when he was talking about the kids in Brazil. He said that they face every type of abuse imaginable and death every single day. These are kids who don't know what it is to experience love in any kind. These are the kids that need to know what it is to have the unconditional love of an amazing God.
I feel my calling is to love those who don't know love. I may not know exactly where that will be, but I am trusting in the Lord for a sense of direction and clarity for where to go. I know that it may be difficult to leave my family and friends here in the US, but if that's my calling, how can I say no? I really can't. There is an amazing future ahead for me and I am looking forward to it. I'm still blown away at how God can still use me after how many times I've stumbled and fallen. He has a wonderful plan
I'm gearing up for Kenya in July! It's pretty amazing to see how things are falling into place. We had our first meeting a little while ago. Originally, our flights were going to cost close to $2,000. Faith, who is leading this trip, was able to get flights for less than $1,300! How amazing is that! God is definitely taking care of us here and it's so encouraging to witness it all. I've even had some people that I wouldn't have expected to donate funds that have asked me if they could help support me financially in this trip. I'm looking forward to how this trip is going to change me. When we met with Daniel a while back, he kept telling us not to come to Kenya expecting to change the country, but rather to expect that Kenya will change us. I'm already seeing it too.
Tonight, I was talking with Mike at bible study and somehow it came up that there is currently a woman in the US from Brazil speaking about her ministry there with the orphans. Mike was describing a little bit about it. I'm actually going to this dinner tomorrow night to hear her speak with one of the other guys at Mike's practice. I'm not sure what this will lead to. I'm keeping an open mind about where I will end up though. I told Mike tonight that it's not really a question of if I will serve outside of the country, it's a question of when and where. I can say that very confidently too.
This leads to the title of this particular blog - BLESSINGS. I was driving a bit tonight and thinking about a lot of things that I have experienced in life, especially before my adoption. I remember a lot of different abuses and living on the streets with my mom and sister. Long story short - it was a pretty dark time. I used to wonder why I had to go through some of it. I've reached a conclusion a while ago that it has to be to help others through it. As I spent some time driving and praying tonight, I thought how blessed I am to have experienced so much! I have experienced what it is to feel so neglected and wonder what it is to have loving parents. I have also gotten to experience the opposite end of the spectrum where I have two amazing parents that love me. I have not just one, but two amazing families that love me and support me in everything I do. It reminds me of Joseph's response to his brothers as they begged for his forgiveness. He told that that what they meant for evil, God meant for good.
I know that what I have been through is nothing compared to what so many children around the world have to endure day in and day out. I think that Mike said it pretty well when he was talking about the kids in Brazil. He said that they face every type of abuse imaginable and death every single day. These are kids who don't know what it is to experience love in any kind. These are the kids that need to know what it is to have the unconditional love of an amazing God.
I feel my calling is to love those who don't know love. I may not know exactly where that will be, but I am trusting in the Lord for a sense of direction and clarity for where to go. I know that it may be difficult to leave my family and friends here in the US, but if that's my calling, how can I say no? I really can't. There is an amazing future ahead for me and I am looking forward to it. I'm still blown away at how God can still use me after how many times I've stumbled and fallen. He has a wonderful plan
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Making a difference
To be honest, I'm not really sure why I'm starting this whole blog thing. There are some really cool things going on and I guess this can help me share some of it. I'm not really good at talking about myself, but I don't mind letting others know what's going on; maybe this will help with that.
Let's start with the title of the page: "Making a difference". This has been a goal of mine for a long time. I have a heart that longs to bring smiles to the faces of others. I see so many hurting people out in the world, and I really just to help. Last weekend I got to spend most of Saturday at camp hanging out. I learned two things. The first is that I greatly miss the relationships that I built while I worked there. I spent hours talking and sharing with old friends that I wish I had kept up with more since I left camp and it was a highlight of the weekend. Second, I realized how fulfilled I was while I was there as part of the full time staff. When others would ask if I liked my job, I used to always say, "I work in full time ministry. What's not to like?". I felt a sense of purpose and direction. I miss that too. Last night I found some old CD's with some old STOP the Violence photos on them. I reflected for a while on the different trips that I've been on with STOP. One of my fondest memories is of a girl standing up during a training in Utah and telling us that her school has a problem with gangs. She asked us what she could do about it. Do you know how encouraging it was to hear that! We inspired her! She believed that SHE could make a difference in her school! And you know what? SHE WAS RIGHT! Working with STOP was such an incredible experience. I was making a difference in lives of students who were then going on to impact others.
This kind of leads to the first cool thing - Africa. A couple weeks ago while in church, I started thinking about Kenya. It's one of the countries that my church has adopted. I went home and prayed about it and really feel a strong calling to go. I'm going as a part of a team with my church towards the end of July. There are some really hurting people there who just need someone to love them. Right now, that someone can be me. I know that God is doing amazing things in that country, and He is going to continue to do amazing things in Kenya. But here's the deal: He doesn't want to do it on His own; He wants to use US! I'm always blown away by that! A lot of people have been asking me what we'll be doing in Kenya. Well, I'm not sure. We're not building anything, or providing medical care, or painting a building. We're simply going there to serve. That may mean playing games with the orphans one day and listening to widows the next. The only thing that I know for certain is that we'll be showing the people love. I've been reminded a lot lately of Matthew 20:28: "Just as the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve...". You see, Christ didn't come to have everyone serve Him, but rather for Him to serve us. I'm not going to Kenya as a missionary; I'm going as a servant. I'm going to Kenya to serve the people in whatever way that I can.
I'll be in Kenya for two weeks this summer. But, if I'm completely honest, I could see it being longer. It's been on my heart lately to possibly stay overseas and serve. I enjoy my job that I have and I'm very thankful for it. And I am satisfied with my job, I just don't know that I'm fulfilled. This is by no means a definite thing, but it could be. I've always had a heart for underprivileged children; it's a passion of mine. I've always known that I'm supposed to do something with my life that is greater than me. I'm supposed to do something with my life that makes a difference daily.
I guess I'll wrap this up. For those of you reading this that believe in prayer, I ask for you to pray. Pray for the people of Kenya and pray for our team that is going. Pray that as we serve, the people will not see a group of Americans, but rather that they see the love of Christ being poured out upon them.
Let's start with the title of the page: "Making a difference". This has been a goal of mine for a long time. I have a heart that longs to bring smiles to the faces of others. I see so many hurting people out in the world, and I really just to help. Last weekend I got to spend most of Saturday at camp hanging out. I learned two things. The first is that I greatly miss the relationships that I built while I worked there. I spent hours talking and sharing with old friends that I wish I had kept up with more since I left camp and it was a highlight of the weekend. Second, I realized how fulfilled I was while I was there as part of the full time staff. When others would ask if I liked my job, I used to always say, "I work in full time ministry. What's not to like?". I felt a sense of purpose and direction. I miss that too. Last night I found some old CD's with some old STOP the Violence photos on them. I reflected for a while on the different trips that I've been on with STOP. One of my fondest memories is of a girl standing up during a training in Utah and telling us that her school has a problem with gangs. She asked us what she could do about it. Do you know how encouraging it was to hear that! We inspired her! She believed that SHE could make a difference in her school! And you know what? SHE WAS RIGHT! Working with STOP was such an incredible experience. I was making a difference in lives of students who were then going on to impact others.
This kind of leads to the first cool thing - Africa. A couple weeks ago while in church, I started thinking about Kenya. It's one of the countries that my church has adopted. I went home and prayed about it and really feel a strong calling to go. I'm going as a part of a team with my church towards the end of July. There are some really hurting people there who just need someone to love them. Right now, that someone can be me. I know that God is doing amazing things in that country, and He is going to continue to do amazing things in Kenya. But here's the deal: He doesn't want to do it on His own; He wants to use US! I'm always blown away by that! A lot of people have been asking me what we'll be doing in Kenya. Well, I'm not sure. We're not building anything, or providing medical care, or painting a building. We're simply going there to serve. That may mean playing games with the orphans one day and listening to widows the next. The only thing that I know for certain is that we'll be showing the people love. I've been reminded a lot lately of Matthew 20:28: "Just as the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve...". You see, Christ didn't come to have everyone serve Him, but rather for Him to serve us. I'm not going to Kenya as a missionary; I'm going as a servant. I'm going to Kenya to serve the people in whatever way that I can.
I'll be in Kenya for two weeks this summer. But, if I'm completely honest, I could see it being longer. It's been on my heart lately to possibly stay overseas and serve. I enjoy my job that I have and I'm very thankful for it. And I am satisfied with my job, I just don't know that I'm fulfilled. This is by no means a definite thing, but it could be. I've always had a heart for underprivileged children; it's a passion of mine. I've always known that I'm supposed to do something with my life that is greater than me. I'm supposed to do something with my life that makes a difference daily.
I guess I'll wrap this up. For those of you reading this that believe in prayer, I ask for you to pray. Pray for the people of Kenya and pray for our team that is going. Pray that as we serve, the people will not see a group of Americans, but rather that they see the love of Christ being poured out upon them.
"And He (Jesus) said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach he gospel to every creature'." - Mark 16:15
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