Are we really that different? I mean when you get right down to it, are we? Thai, American, Swazi, South African, whatever, we’re all human. It’s what’s inside that is the same my friends – our heart, our spirit!
Hurt is universal! Ya’ll know what I’m talking about. Don’t we all get that same sick feeling in our stomachs when you hear the name of someone you’re not over?
You know that feeling, it sucks! But we also laugh about the same things. The soul of mankind is the same. It is not defined by borders, by languages, by culture. Jesus Christ sees us as one people – His people.
Even though I’m halfway around the world sitting on the floor of a hut in a tiny village in Thailand, I found the heart of a man is the same. Ray, our American contact, and I had a chance to talk with a young man named Jet. We met Jet the night before at a church service. He’s 23 and just finished college in Chiang Mai. He’s back at home for a month or so before getting his tour guide license. Jet speaks pretty good English so we had a chance to get to know him. In the course of our visit I learned this young Thai Christian is really no different from me. Jet graduated from college in 4 years, it took me six. A fact he made fun of quite a bit. HA! He drank and partied in college, I gathered whiskey was his drink of choice. Mine was blue beast. (Only a few people will know what I’m talking about, it’s basically cheap beer.) However, he said he’s done drinking and it doesn’t make him happy anymore. I feel ya brother, I’ve been sober nearly six years. Like anyone else he’s got dreams of a high paying job and a future that promises much more than what his small hometown can offer. Jet is blessed with two loving parents that worked very hard to send him to school. He’s got a motorcycle, but he wants something that’s bigger and faster.
His hopes are pretty much the same as any American. But so is his pain. You see Jet’s been hurt, cut deeply by a failed relationship. Oh how I know all about that, having suffered a few of those in my day. You could see the hurt when he told us she lied to him. My heart about broke when I saw Jet fighting back tears when he admitted he still loved her. Folks, failed relationships have wounded us all. These mini-marriages, mini-divorces are wrecking us – and we don’t even realize it. Our society just calls it dating. I like to call it death to our hearts – one date at a time. Personally, I ain’t getting anywhere near another serious relationship until I meet my future wife, BUT I digress.
You know what though, Jet understands my pain, hell he understands your pain, just as those of you reading this can feel his pain. But through his hurt and mine we were able to connect. Ray and I both prayed for him. We asked God to heal his heart and strengthen his faith, because it’s only by faith that we can truly find peace. God loves us so much and yet I forget that everyday. I love what Jesus says in Matthew 7 about if sinful, earthly fathers can give good gifts, how much better will the gifts be from our heavenly Father. Great point, the Lord has something beautiful in store for Jet. Here is a man that’s a Christian in a country where maybe 5 percent of the population are believers. He’s carrying a light in dark place – the Lord will honor him for that. We also asked our heavenly Father to bring him the right girl. One he’ll love more than he ever thought possible. The one! That does exist – I believe it. I tell you, it was an easy prayer to speak over Jet, because it’s also my prayer.
I love that God cut through the cultural differences and allowed Ray and I to reach Jet’s soul. After all Jet is just a man with a hurting heart that needed to feel loved and encouraged. It’s amazing how we all become one under the love of Jesus.
