A Divine paradox.
Lately, that’s how I’m seeing Jesus.
Everything about His life & teachings form a Divine paradox.
He (King of the Universe) humbly rode in on a donkey; & chose to serve rather than be served.
He (perfect & holy) died a criminal’s death so we MIGHT believe in Him & have access to the Father.
He chose to love instead of judge, heal instead of ignore, forgive instead of condemn.
He taught to love your enemies. To serve those that can never return the favor.
He taught the first will be last, to conquer by yielding, to reign by serving.
He taught you will be exalted when you are humble; you’ll be made great by becoming small.
He taught to trust in the unseen more than anything seen.
He chose to give grace when we deserved the opposite.
In Matthew 16:25, He said: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses His life for My sake will find it.”
I could go on & on… But I see the paradoxes coming alive here. His paradoxes permeate life today.
Garbage dumps. That’s our ministry. We drive up into the hills of the slums & arrive at a small array of meager shacks. These are the homes’ of families that live in the garbage dumps. The fathers’ work all day sorting trash to scarcely provide food & water. The children raise chickens & entertain themselves running around, climbing trees. Three days a week we bring dinner, teach them English & bible stories, play games, & just simply love on them. My heart feels warm here. My Spirit feels a new fullness.
I remember the first day driving in, I had no idea what to expect- all I knew was I’d never seen living conditions like this before. To my surprise, as soon as we met the people, undeniable joy filled the atmosphere! There were enormous smiles & unapologetic giggles, welcoming hugs & attempts to communicate in English. It all caught me off guard; in an environment that should be effected by darkness, there was light. Illogical light, exuberant light- that’s Jesus. Here in the slums they know Him, love Him, follow him, & reflect him. Therefore, their lives reflect a paradox too.
I’m discovering such a beautiful way of life through these people. Like in Romans 11:33, I’m learning “the depth of the riches & wisdom & knowledge of God!” I’m learning to disregard all ideas of what the world has taught me “rich” means. That true “richness” has nothing to do with money or materialism. Most of all, I’m learning that with Jesus, “one can have nothing, yet possess everything.” (2Cor.6:10)
Thank you to all my supporters for making this all possible, your financial help is directly reaching this precious kids! Your generosity is making a difference here in Ecuador! To be very real with you all, I am still not fully funded and the deadline is approaching quickly. I still need to raise $4,251 to stay on The World Race. If any of you feel called to give, you can click “Donate!” on my blog home page. THANK YOU!
xoxoxo, Brynley
