Have you ever been warned not to do something or to just be cautious but you ignored the warning because you thought you were invincible? Well, I have and unfortunately my invincibility usually fails me…
A few weeks ago a few of my teammates and I had some free time so we went to visit the mall in Quito, Ecuador. (Expensive btw, you should avoid these things when living on a budget) After grabbing a bite to eat we left the mall and walked our new friend Bella to the bus station. We said our goodbyes and parted ways as she hopped on her bus to Banos.
All was well, until we boarded our bus. The bus was crowded! Tons of people were getting off and on. I held on to my teammates shirt as we fought the crowds to get through the door. Once safely on the bus I did my normal routine of making sure everything was still intact (wallet, phone, team wallet etc)…
Now would be the time to mention, Quito busses are known for having theives. “Keep your items in your front pockets and pay attention to your surroundings”. While I did keep my phone in my front pocket. I did not pay attention to my surroundings. My phone was gone.
Panic ensued as we all began looking around for it. All we knew was that it was in my pocket right before stepping on the ramp to the bus and gone before i was standing inside. Those sneaky little boogers were good… Swiper had swiped my phone and there was no going back. Photos were lost, along with phone contacts, devotional notes and so much more.
Here is what I know:
The moment I realized my phone was gone, I felt a peace rush over me. I had lost my connection to the world and it honestly felt so good.
The Lord had been speaking to me about how I don’t need to broadcast the work I am doing but to just do it. Would I still volunteer to clean the toilets if not a single person knows I am doing it?
About 15 minutes before my phone was stolen I had updated the Facebook world and told them that I would be posting several pictures of the ministry I had been doing. Because of this and what the Lord had been speaking .. I found the timing of my phone being stolen to be impeccable. Well played Jesus… Well played.
God is good. I bought a new phone about a week and a half later and while I am still missing some connections i have gained something so much more important, a closer connection to the Lord.
What I have learned:
I spend entirely too much time stressing about what the world around me needs instead of focusing on what God wants of me (when you focus on him, the other stuff tends to fall in line as well)
My phone, for many reasons, had become my life line .. if I was having a bad day, I’d call my parents or message my brother. If I needed to find a word in Spanish I would use my translator. If I forgot my Bible, it’s okay I have the app. If I need to understand the word, I use the internet. I had become so accustomed to leaning on my phone that I had forgotten to lean on God. I had to actually open a real Bible. That’s right, the kind that has paper and binding; you would know it if i showed you.
Just a little over a week and my world had become so small. Me, Jesus and the limited relationships around me. Sometimes I think we spend a little to too much time trying to figure out the “big picture” instead of focusing on what’s right in front of us.
Yes the world is a big place and there are tons of problems … (World hunger, child abuse, addictions, homeless, depression etc) I just wonder what it would look like if every single one of us stopped trying to change the whole world and started to just focus on what’s in front of us.
How close am I with Jesus. Do I know him better than I know my family or my friends? Or do I use him like a gas station and only stop when I’m on empty?
What does my family life look like? Am I loving them well? (Create disciples within your home… They can then create disciples and those disciples will create more and before you know it, the ball of change is rolling.)
Am I connected to the people around me? Maybe I’ll ask the cashier her name and make it a point to get to know her a little more each time I buy groceries. Maybe I’ll pray for her. Maybe I’ll start by simply building relationships ..maybe it’s time I quit trying so stinking hard to be Superman when I am serving a God that puts our cinematic heros to shame 🙂 Maybe there is a reason loving the lord and loving your neighbor are highlighted so much throughout scripture.
No one ever talks about the guy that ministered to the guy who ministered to the guy that ministered to Billy Graham. The original guy is just as important if not more important to Billy Grahams journey but I doubt his name was ever heard.
Am I okay with being the original no name Christian that doesn’t even get to see the product of my actions? Am I okay with just following the Lord regardless of whether I see the results.
Losing my phone caused me to go into a place were I am constantly checking myself ..
My prayer is to be the kind of Christ follower that doesn’t depend so much on results, people, and technology.. the kind that depends solely on the Lord and loves him so fully that my world becomes his world, my heart becomes his heart, and my thoughts become his thoughts. An intimate connection to him that goes beyond anything I knew to be possible. Because that’s who our God is. He is a bigger, greater, stronger, all encompassing kind of father that blows our expectations out of the water! I cant wait to see more of his goodness throughout this trip!
Thank you to everyone who is supporting my journey!! I am still a few thousand away from my goal! If you feel led to give please don’t hesitate!
