What has been the most impactful moment for you on your trip?
Iquitos, Peru.
The combined smell of urine, trash and smoke tangle together as our team passes through the threshold to enter the back area of the property. The “house” is above us on stilts, protecting it from flooding that happens months out the year. It’s the middle of the day, yet it seems so dark as we walk in. Men are in various places around, siting hunched over as they lose themselves in a drug-induced haze.
The drums begin beating and voices rise as the men from our ministry boldly worship God in the middle of the space. I clap along as I watch the people around us. I can’t help but think these ministry guys are nuts. Aren’t these loud noises going to agitate people into a riot?
Surprisingly, it doesn’t as a few of the guys even join in to sing and dance. I guess after 6 years, these people know the drill. When the music stops we offer bread, coffee and prayer to anyone who wants them. We finish our tasks and get ushered out, making sure we don’t overstay our welcome or put ourselves in unnecessary danger. With one last glance back, we crawl into our tuk tuks and drive away.
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This is the kind of place I expect Jesus visited while on earth. During our time there, all I wanted was for these people to have a radical encounter with the Lord and have changed lives, filled with hope, purpose and love in the One who saves and redeems lives.
Walking away, I felt good about being the hands and feet of Jesus to these people. I couldn’t help but feel that He must be proud of me for shining his light in such dark places because in my mind, these are the people who really needed Him.
It took some time for me to understand the subtle ugliness that the Holy Spirit was revealing in my heart.
I am no better nor more deserving of God’s love and mercy than those I encountered today.
It was a reminder that slapped me in the face as I saw my own self-righteousness. I had believed that I was more deserving of God’s love compared to others because of my “good” behavior and character. As if I could earn His love. I had lost sight that I too fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:24).
I had made it about me, and it’s not about me at all. It’s all about Him.
It stung to realize that because I believed this lie, I discounted the power of the Gospel in my own life. It is out of his glorious riches of his grace that Jesus died on the cross so that all could have a relationship with the Father. Because of his sacrifice, I am adopted into the family of God and can call out to the best Dad one could ever ask for. (Ephesians 1).
How could I have lost sight of this beautiful love?
Thank you, God, for reminding me of your love and your sacrifice. Thank you for pulling me out of the pit of destruction that I was in and giving me abundant life in You. Thank you for reminding me of the simplicity and power of the Gospel. You truly are good, all the time.
