First I want to share a funny story…I was washing dishes after lunch today and when asked "Are you OK?" by one of my guy teammates, I said "No not at all." (In reality, I was great…I was just kidding about not being ok.) His immediate response though was, "oh what's wrong? Do you want some chocolate?" HA HA! I guess he thinks that all women want when they're not OK is chocolate…silly guys!
This blog though, is not about what women want, but what THIS WORLD NEEDS!
What this world needs is…
Love
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. –1 Corinthians 13:4-7
I have been blessed with so many people to love and who love me on this trip! I LOVE my teammates Aisha, Ashley, Dan, Lynnsey, Nathan, and Ryan! They are such a huge part of why I wake up feeling so great every day. They are all very different people, with different stories, and different opinions and views on the world. I LOVE that I am lifted up by each of them daily, I am challenged by them, encouraged by them, and of course unconditionally loved by them! It’s overwhelming sometimes to think about how blessed I am to have them along for this journey! I thank God for who they are and for what they speak into my life. I learn something new every day about myself because of the lessons I receive from my teammates!
I am blessed this month with the love of Team Raja too!
I’ve learned how to love children with cerebral palsy who don’t speak English, and to show them Christ’s love without saying a word. I’ve also learned to love grandpas and grandmas without words, and of course how to love them by just being with them and showing that someone cares.
Love is a universal language that doesn’t need words. Love is expressed and received in thousands of ways, by millions of people. When love is absent lives are destroyed, hope is lost, and abandonment occurs. People feel unworthy, useless, ugly, weak, lost, etc. This list goes on and it gets quite depressing, BUT the good news is that when love is present lives are built, hope is found, and abandonment is lost! People feel worthy, joyful, accepted, strong, beautiful, etc.
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. –John 13:34-35
When there is love, then there is joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the fruit of the Spirit…the Holy Spirit that dwells in those who know Jesus Christ!
Casting Crowns has a song titled What This World Needs, and it says that the world needs is a Savior who will rescue, a Spirit who will lead, and a Father who will LOVE them in their time of need.
God has spoken to me so much in just the two weeks that I’ve been in Antigua, and the loudest message is to LOVE…to love my family and friends back home, my team Shadowfeet, and the people I meet along the way.
I was encouraged once to write a personal mission statement and this is what I came up with: My personal mission is to LOVE OTHERS IN ORDER TO SHOW CHRIST’S LOVE!
So…that’s exactly what I will continue to do!
