Are the feet of him who brings
good news, 
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good
things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion, “Your God
reigns!”
Isaiah
52:7
don’t feel very beautiful on this 112th day of The World Race. Beyond needing a pedicure I could really use a
lip wax, a flat iron would be nice, a cute purse might lift my spirits, and
although I let my teammate Emily, who is not a beautician, cut my hair for
free, I’ve considered paying money for a more stylish do at a salon. Let’s not even get started on the fact that
I’ve gained about 10 lbs. and the only three pairs of pants I have are all getting
tight. Thankfully mirrors are a rarity here on the race so there isn’t the
constant reminder of what I look like, or better yet what I don’t look like.
Up until
this point in our race the only thing “beautiful” about this predicament, is
being surrounded by people (my teammates, our ministry contacts, and the
communities of the third world cities we’ve visited) who don’t care at all
about physical appearances. It has been
incredibly freeing to not worry about wearing the same outfit three days in a
row without a shower resulting in greasy hair and hairy legs, so I can focus
on more important things in life like hugging dirty and runny nosed little
Moses in Peru, or rolling out of bed at 6AM in Bolivia to help Choka make 300
pancakes for high school students hungry for the gospel, or mixing concrete by
hand in Ecuador for a building bound to cultivate a Christ like community.
month has been different. In our college
town of Korce, Albania fashion seems to be the main focus of the students, both
female and male. Walking around campus
and the city I am constantly reminded of what I “don’t look like”. Even on our recent visit to Thessaloniki,
Greece, also a very hip and trendy town, I mourned the joy of buying a cute outfit
from my favorite store Anthropology.
I’ve suddenly
developed a preoccupation with my image and it has its grips on me. We are here in Albania to share the gospel
with first year college students and sadly I’ve wondered if having a more
fashionable outfit would make me more cool and my “good news” more
desirable. This preoccupation with image
has blinded me and it is blinding the students here to what should be most
important.
about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They
don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed
as beautifully as they are.
God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you
need.
Matthew 6:28-29, 33
Thankfully
I am confident God is using us in our
mis-matched, pit-stained, too-tight outfits, and the CCC staff to create a craving
for a life lived for Christ in the hearts of these students. And while my team will be off to Romania in
less than one week, I will continue to pray after we leave that the bright
light of Jesus becomes the hottest look of EVERY season here in Korce!!
