Jesus, would you like fries with that?

Perhaps this is my ignorance talking, but when I landed in Africa I had high expectations of dodging spears from African bush warriors, participating in tribal ceremonies, and evading anything and everything that appeared to be a poisonous blow dart blazing through the sky.  Boy I couldn‘t have been anymore wrong.   Although God has given me an absolute adventure here in Africa, He called me here for something far much greater than even a shark cage could offer.  He called me here for its people – a people full of life, hope, joy, and a tangible love that you can at times literally reach out and touch.  Africa is not what I expected it to be.  I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions and have experienced everything from grief, fear, heartbreak, to pure and utter joy.  From getting robbed in Jo’Burg to pushing Maria in her wheelchair, Africa has had its fare share of twists and surprises, ups and downs!

Although I’ve tried to detach myself from any expectations, I quickly realized that I had much lower expectations for this world than what I thought.  Living in the United States, American’s tend to separate themselves from the rest of the world.  Partly due to ignorance and a majority due to an ethnocentric mindset, we as Americans feel like the rest of the world doesn’t function like we do.; that perhaps they’re not as smart, not as talented, and unfortunately not as important as we are.  The truth is, the African people are the same as you and I – living, loving, laughing human beings created in the image of their maker, created in the image of God.  In a land that has been ravished by aids, extreme poverty, starvation, and some of the most deplorable living conditions I have ever witnessed, there’s still a glimmer of hope in each one of their eyes.  A light that doesn’t shine like anything you and I have ever seen, but rather a celestial light that encompasses the very face of God.  There are still dreams to dream and new stars to reach for.  Mothers still hope and pray over their children, the same as your mother has probably done over you in the States.  The only difference between them and us as Americans is the fact that we were born in America and they were not.  We’re not better or superior for that reason. 

I’ll admit that when I stepped foot onto African soil, I had no clue how God was going to use me.  My biggest fear was that I would leave the country without changing a single person.  In a country like South Africa where nearly 25% of all pregnant women are infected HIV or in Swaziland, where more than 60% of the population lives on less than $1.25 USD per day,  I was wondering how in the world this young guy from Kentucky could have an impact on anything.  I didn’t have food to feed the hungry or medicine to give the sick – I just had willing hands and able feet to at least attempt to be Jesus to a hurting and dying world.  I felt helpless and at times, completely useless.  How was God going to use me?  What was He seeing that I simply could not?  There’s no way I could save the life of an orphan in my arms that was infected with HIV or even begin to feed the millions upon millions hungry mouths – why was I even here?

Most of my time in Africa has been spent doing a variety of ministries.  From holding baby orphans to painting the side of a church building, to sweeping the floor and washing dishes, I’ve been in a variety of ministerial roles while here in the motherland.  This month in South Africa my teams have partnered with a ministry called Living Hope and we’ve been working with their youth program.   Their goal has been to provide a safe place for the youth and teens to spend their winter break months.  Many of the youth near and around Cape Town are involved in gang related activities.  Since most of the youth come from broken and impoverished homes, they need a since of belonging and a place of protection.  One of our other goals has been to bring abstinence education and awareness in the community.  Last week we had a concert where there was live music, food, and a message delivered about abstinence.  Unfortunately, many of the youth don’t take the message to heart and will continue to have as much unprotected sex as they desire.  We even had to have security  monitor the bathrooms to ensure that they didn’t sneak in there.  Our prayer was that this time would be different – that this time the message would stick.  

I’ll be honest, I’ve had to do a real heart check this month.  At times I just don’t feel like I’ve done much, like I’m not making that difference that I came on the World Race for.  Hundreds haven’t lined up to be saved and I haven’t cured or even put a dent in the AIDS epidemic (not that I even expected to). Despite my lack of quantitative achievements, God has taught me over the course of just a few weeks that kingdom work isn’t about being successful, it’s about being FAITHFUL.  I’m not traveling to 11 countries in 11 months to receive the accolades of man, I’m doing this to glorify my King – to point to the one and only – God himself!  Ephesians 6:7 says “Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not men.â€�  Wow.  Can you imagine what this verse really means?  Here the Bible is telling us to do EVERYTHING as if we were serving Christ himself in the flesh!  That means if I’m in the kitchen one day in the middle of the hot African bush scraping dried up rice off of plastic plates with a stick – then I  should do that with JOY in my heart because I am doing it for the Lord!!

I think sometimes we as Christians forget why we’re even doing ministry in the first place.  Our natural tendency is to look for applause and affirmation from anyone and everyone who will give it to us, but that’s not what God is about.  Our worth and value is found in Him and Him alone which is a blessing considering that Kingdom work rarely comes with a trophy, an honorable mention, or a round of applause.  It’s hard work, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s often messy.  Kingdom work is not for the faint at heart it’s for the strong in spirit!  Where does God have you doing Kingdom Work today?  Are you reading this blog behind some government desk or maybe getting ready to head to class?  Wonderful!!  God has positioned you uniquely to do your Kingdom work right there – you’re supposed to bloom where you’ve been planted!  If your job is to make blizzards at Dairy Queen then do it as if Christ himself is coming up to the counter to order one!  If your task is to teach sometimes obnoxious and often unappreciative teens then do it as if the Lord himself were sitting in the front desk.  My friends – we are here to serve a Creator, not His creation.  We are here to be a friend of God, not a friend of the world!  If my task this month in Africa was to wash glasses every single day then my hope is that I washed them as if Christ himself was going to take the very next drink out of it.  

It’s possible that when I step on a plane this week and head to Thailand, Africa may be left completely unchanged, although I seriously doubt that.  I may not have any stories of how I baptized people by the thousands or witnessed miraculous healings, but the truth is – none of that even matters.  All I know is that I served God with all of my heart, with all of my soul, and with all of my mind and that my friends has been enough.  My hope is that I’ve given God all that I have so that He’ll have something to work with.  The wonderful thing is that God doesn’t even need me to complete His story, but yet He still wants me to take part in it anyway.  If I made one orphan smile then I did it for the Glory of God.  If 300 teens heard the message of abstinence then they heard it in God’s name.  From this day forward, whether God calls me to preach from a pulpit, teach in a classroom, or take your order at McDonald’s, I’m going to do it to serve God himself, and God alone.  Maybe I could start practicing…â€�Jesus, would you like fries with that?â€�