The main purpose of The World Race is to reach out to the least of these in countries around the world for God's glory and not our own. We are going to be among those who have been orphaned in the Philippines, those who have HIV or AIDS in Thailand, those who are homeless and living in the city dumps in Nicaragua, and those who are caught up in human trafficking in Cambodia. They are the true least of these who Jesus refers to at the end of Matthew 25.
Before I go any further, I want to say that I know that this trip is NOT about me. It's just not. It's not about the stories that I'll be able to tell. It's not about the sights around the world that I'll get to see. It's not about the satisfaction or importance that I'll feel from reaching out to the "least of these". It's about the "least of these" themselves. It's about sharing the love and hope that can only be found through Jesus to those who have never heard His name and about furthering the Kingdom for God's glory. That's what it's about.
However, as I prepare for this journey, I can't help but think of myself as a "least of these". It doesn't make sense because I am in good health, eat more burritos from Chipotle and drink more iced white mochas from Starbucks than I care to think about, have an unhealthy obsession with The North Face and Gap, and am privileged to have more than one shelter to go to whether it's my Mom's house, my Dad's house, my best friends' house, or my room. Of course, I wouldn't finish this list without mentioning my beloved iPhone and iPad.
It seems that I have way more than my fair share to live a happy and grateful life. You may even think that I'm arrogant or unsympathetic in viewing myself as a "least of these". Don't get me wrong. That's not my intent. I know that I am abundantly blessed and have absolutely nothing to complain about. When I say that I'm a "least of these", I'm referring to the fact that, when I compare myself to the true "least of these", I'm probably the LEAST grateful and the LEAST happy.
I don't know what it's like to be hungry in the way that I'm going to see hunger. I don't know what it's like to be sick in the way that I'm going to see sickness. I don't know what it's like to be lonely in the way that I'm going to see loneliness. I also don't know what it is to be grateful or happy in the way that I'm going to see gratitude and happiness. I can't imagine the gratitude someone must feel when they eat for the first time in a week, when they drink a clean glass of water for the first time, or when they wake up to another day even though a disease is overtaking their body. What about the happiness a widow feels when someone takes the time to talk to her? Or the happiness a child must feel when a complete stranger from Davenport, IA wraps them up in their arms?
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I take everything for granted – both things I need and things I don't. Even worse, I often choose things that I don't need over the things I do. Without even realizing it, I choose Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter over spending time with my family and friends even though I'm in the same room as them.
Although this trip is not about me, I pray that I am changed because of it. I am confident that I will be if I stay humble and willing. I pray that I come back with a new perspective on how blessed I really am and a greater gratitude towards God for everything I have. I'm going to realize that the "least of the these" are going to have more than me in some regards. They are going to provide me just as much, if not more, than what I'll provide them.
