Uganda flew by in an array of poscho, children’s smiles and hot, glaring, sunny days. The time spent here touched my heart and reaffirmed that it beats for Africa. Not just because Bono loves this hot climate and war stricken territory, but because my blood pumps fast watching the way they do life. I love their zest. Their spunk and sass. The way they work so hard yet earn little. The backs that break over the wood burning fires and how every day is centered around the next meal. The laid back lifestyle yet firey way they feel about politics.
It’s all so fascinating.
I’ve learned a lot and realized my perception of Africa is not the reality. Yet it’s completely the reality. The poverty is here and I’m sure the AIDS is too. But I see past that. I see these white teeth that literally gleam in contrast to the chocolate skin that embodies them and I see smiles that melt your heart. I see songs and dances and babies butts running around while mothers eat sugar cane and spit it like champs and I see absent fathers. I see bodas spinning wheels around the city taking whites to and from and I see dresses on mannequins for sale like you wouldn’t believe. I see innocence and I see eyes that have seen too much.
Honestly, what I see is life.
Whether its in Africa or America really doesn’t matter. Life happens everywhere. We all think or romanticize missions as being overseas. But really, it’s everywhere.
Anywhere in the world you will see abuse. Hate. Neglect. Love. Joy. Happiness. War.
You don’t have to travel for a year to see life that’s right in front of you. But maybe, just maybe it takes a trip around the world to realize its outside your door. Maybe it took seeing outside myself to realize that around me in the foothills of the Smokies is a mission field in as much need as the Ugandan countryside that sits along Lake Victoria. Perhaps it takes riding days long bus rides through countries to realize that I missed the heartbeat of America. I was so consumed with myself in the years leading up to the Race that I missed a lot of opportunities. I always thought it was great that my friends helped in the community but I didn’t wanna join. I was impressed by people who wanted more but all I ever wanted was to get married. I thought it was neat-o when some went abroad or even when others joined the Peace Corps. But again, I wasn’t swayed to partake. I was happy in my niche. I thought.
Happiness is dangerous.
It’s also a liar.
I was in the Phillippines living among whores and outcasts of society. A murderer was my neighbor and pimps passed me hourly. I got an email that said they hoped I was finding the happiness I was looking for. I stared at the message a while as I pondered if it was happiness that I was searching for.
And I concluded that no. No. It wasn’t and its not. Happiness is the world’s fix for joy.
True joy doesn’t need happiness to fulfill it. Happy isn’t blood, sweat and tears but joy can be found amidst that for sure. Happy can’t mourn the dead and it cant find the good in sickness but joy can. Happiness hops around searching and hoping that tomorrow will bring the peace that today lacks. Joy is sustained no matter what is going on outside.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Therefore, it doesn’t run out. It doesn’t come and go with the feeling of the moment. Its sustainable and its in America, Africa, Asia and Antartica. It’s everywhere you are when Jesus is inside of you.
That’s why you don’t have to go around the world to find it. Because its already part of Jesus’ followers. Sometimes the journey helps you realize what you always had. It reaffirms the truth over and over and tests you while rising up as men and women of God in times of trouble. But what we have out here is what you have at home. Its accessible and yours. So let’s own it. Let’s not pretend that we’re looking for a false sense of security in happiness. Happiness has lied to America long enough. It’s time to tap into joy and run with reckless abandonment while we enjoy the blessings our Prince wants to lavish us in.
It’s been a joy and privilege to see, hear and feel the world. It’s blessed me more than I can express yet I’m excited and peaceful knowing that as I come home, what we have here can be taken there. That it doesn’t stop when I disembark the aircraft. That I can choose continue loving my Savior sold out and trusting Him totally whether I’m in the slum or in Farragut, TN. And because of that assurance, I can finish the next two months joyfully and excited for the next season of my life.
