Since the day I came home from the World Race I have wanted to go back. I look through the pictures of that year and have to hold back the tears. I left pieces of my heart in those places. The people I met and the things that happened changed me.
Sometimes when I think about the people in the places I’ve been I can’t imagine ever giving of myself like that again. I can’t imagine going somewhere new and falling in love with more people and giving even more of myself. It just hurts so much to say goodbye.
But then most times I can’t imagine a life that isn’t full of those moments. I can’t imagine not seeing more of this world and more of God’s favorite people. So, I keep going.
I was so blessed to lead a group of High School students to Costa Rica in July. And coming home from that trip I couldn’t get the desire to go again out of my mind. So I started talking about it. And now I’m doing it.
I’m doing two things. I’m leading another college trip with Adventures in Missions. And I’m going back to somewhere I’ve been before.
Stay tuned here for updates from the Philippines!
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, “Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.” The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared How can he say his heart is more beautiful they thought! The young man looked at the old man’s heart and saw its state and laughed. “You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”
“Yes,” said the old man, “Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love – I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared.
Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges – giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?” The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.
