I am currently 6 weeks into my race and to be honest I already have regrets. I regret not pouring into my team as much as I could have been. I regret not taking every opportunity to minister to the people in Guatemala. Overall, I regret not pursuing intimate relationships with all of the lovely people God has surrounded me with.
I have been reminded about how God has created me and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ here the past few weeks. He has created us all with a specific identity and gifts according to his will. Each of us are created in his image but we all provide a different function to the kingdom. Some of us are gifted photographers, artists, writers, communicators, listeners, leaders, followers, and many many more. We all have a specific niche and each are equally important when it comes to spreading kingdom.
Romans 12:4-5 “For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
When I accepted this as truth, my perception of my team and the people in Guatemala completely changed. I no longer saw my teammates as people more or less adequate than myself. I no longer saw the locals as anything less than beautiful masterpieces created by the same person who created this world.
I have realized that I have missed out on so many relationships because of my fleshly perception of them. When I took off the tainted glasses I was able to see these people the way that God sees them. All people are people worthy of intimacy. You, me, and the disabled man begging for money- we are all worthy of intimacy.
We are all worthy only because of the sacrifice He made at the cross. Jesus didn’t give his life up for perfect people. He gave his life for imperfect people so that we could live in complete intimacy with our Father and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
But let me tell you, choosing intimacy is hard work!! Satan does not want us to have a close community of Christians and a close relationship with our Lord because he knows the power that we hold. He knows that we have the ability to change this world- to share God’s good news with ALL of the nations.
So it is our choice to push past the difficulty, the awkwardness, the thoughts of inadequacy, the judgement, the excuses. It is our choice to choose intimacy with our God and with our community. It is our choice to choose in to these relationships.
It is my choice to break out of my comfort zone and learn how to be vulnerable with my team. It is my choice to walk up to that disabled man on the side of the road and give him something worth far more than money. It is my choice to walk beside God in all times- even when wandering may be my greater desire.
And… It is your choice too.
Personal Update:
I am doing so great!! I am loving my time here in Guatemala and have been growing so much! We have been at debrief in Antigua all week so I am well rested and ready to get back to Chichi on Sunday!!
