Take it from me, you don't need to be across the world to minister to people. The language barrier actually makes it more difficult.
Here I am, sitting at a dining room table on my laptop, a chandelier above my head, clean white tile on the floor, and several guys in the other room playing Mario Kart Wii. When you consider that not many days ago I was sleeping in a tent out in a yard next to a hospital, it's pretty crazy to think about how quickly surroundings can change. And it kind of opens your eyes to how unnecessary it all is.
Do I appreciate a nice warm bed at night, and wi-fi at my side? Sure. Do I suffer without it, when I'm sleeping in a tent in the chilly mountain air? Since I have the right equipment (thanks, supporters!), not even a little bit. And with it, I realize I might be a little spoiled, closed off, and less aware of what's happening around me.
There's so much going on around us in our everyday lives, and I think most of us are constantly too distracted by something to really take time to notice. We go through our day-to-day checklists (which some of us create on a whim) and treat people like machines. We yell at them from behind the privacy of our steering wheel. We look down at our phones while waiting for them to tell us the total for our purchase. We walk past them and avoid eye contact when they are holding signs asking for help. And we don't think twice about it. We can even spend years of our lives living with the same people, rarely taking time to really even notice and really know them.I learned a cool lesson last month in Guatemala — inspired by a teammate of mine who stopped to tend to a woman who was passed out in the hot sun from drinking too much the night before. Most of us walked by, but she wasn't okay with that. It wasn't enough for her to walk by and whisper a prayer. She was inspired to be a part of the answer to prayer as well.
From that moment, I wanted to be more aware of what God was doing around me. I wanted to look people in the eyes as I'm walking down the street, and ask the Lord "God, what are you doing in the lives of these people? How can I be a part of it?"
What if you walked through life the same way? It doesn't take any extra time from the get-go. It requires saying "hello" to the person at the register, and praying about them while they ring you up, instead of checking Facebook on your phone (or whatever else you do). Then you listen to the Lord. 
He might not have much to say. Perhaps simply asking how their day is going is all that's needed in the situation. But I'm willing to bet there will be times when you feel like the Lord is asking you to do something brave. Something that will require you to take a few extra minutes out of your day to say "yes" to Him. And those are the moments that I think we become true Christians.
I'm not saying you're not a Christian unless you live this way, but just take a minute to imagine would it might be like if we all DID live this way. Those are the moments that the Kingdom of Heaven would come to earth. So become one of those people — a herald of His Kingdom — by listening, and responding to the everyday life around you. Take it from me, you don't need to be across the world to minister to people. The language barrier actually makes it more difficult. You can do it now, in your everyday life.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it inspires you to become a "modern-day herald" like I want to be. In order to help me reach my next financial deadline, please consider donating any amount to my account today.
