It has been such a good transition
back into the good ole US of A! Bri and I have been catching up on some much
needed sleep. We spent some good time with her family, I had my first American
burger, slept in a clean, comfy bed, enjoyed air-conditioning in both a car and
a house, and washed my clothes in a washing machine and then dried them in a…wait for
it…yes ladies and gentlemen, a drier! I know these seem like every day things
that we enjoy here in the States but on the Race these things were a scarcity.
Most days consisted of strange food, sleeping on our camping matts,
sweating…especially me (I sweat over a good hot meal), and hand washing our
clothes and then waiting days until they dried.
I tell you all of this because a
revelation came to me the other day…I don’t feel guilty for enjoying any of it. That may sound strange but I know
that some missionaries come off the field and have some freak out moments when
they come back to the US. Some people feel guilty for enjoying our culture,
some even become very bitter and judge others for enjoying it but Bri and I are
simply…grateful. Not guilty. I even thought that I would get home and be
overwhelmed with guilt for going to Starbucks or chowing down on a delicious
chicken sandwich at Chick-Filet (sorry to all those up North who don’t
experience this amazing place). But I honestly don’t feel bad, just really,
really, really grateful.
Andy Stanley is one of my favorite
biblical communicators. He says that we shouldn’t feel guilty for being an
American, but rather we should be GRATEFUL and GENEROUS. Guilt is straight from the Devil. Now on the
other hand, conviction is from God. If you feel convicted and see some ways you
can change your lifestyle to be more grateful and generous then by all means,
DO IT! I pray that you never feel guilty for enjoying the blessings that God
has so richly blessed you with. However, I do hope and pray with all my heart
that whoever reads this blog feels overwhelmed with gratefulness. Grateful for
the cross of Christ to the breathe in you lungs, to the dollars in your wallet,
to hot water in your sink and shower. We see the theme of thankfulness or
gratefulness in scripture constantly. Paul the apostle on a few occasions told
us to give thanks all the time! I pray that Bri and I, as well you always find
reasons to be grateful.
The second thing I pray for us and
for you is that God fills our hearts with a generosity that is unlike anything
this world knows of. I think of the time where Jesus saw the poor widow putting
2 coins into the offering basket at the temple. 2 coins doesn’t seem like much
to us but Jesus knew her heart and situation. He knew that those 2 coins were
all that woman had to live on. She decides to give God everything and her
generosity, coupled with her faith gets the attention of the Son of God. I pray
that we become an even more generous people. God gave us some really awesome
opportunities to be generous this year. Each time we gave, we saw God’s
incredible faithfulness and blessing poured back out onto us. As we continued
to be good stewards of our gifts, talents, and finances, we saw God do amazing
things and provide for us in ways we never imagined.
So I encourage you, don’t let guilt
ruin the blessings God has given you. Let the tides of gratefulness rush in and
drown those feelings with joy. Also, open your heart to the heart of the Father
and pray into areas that you could be even more generous in. We have never
regretted any decision we have made to be more generous. Some times it
stretches and tests your faith but that can be good for us every once and a
while! So remember…NOT GUILTY, rather be GRATEFUL and GENEROUS!
Grace and Peace,
Josh
