Why is it that people who have little, give much and those who have much, give very little. I have been amazed at the hospitality of believers in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Bosnia. In Montenegro Pastor John welcomed us into his church and said, “I don’t have much, but what I have, I can give.”
Just let that sit. I don’t have much, but what I have, I will give.
What if you started using what God has given you to bless those around you? What if your house that now has so many empty rooms, was filled with people who needed a place to stay? What if the extra car in the driveway was available for others to borrow? What if the food you throw out was given away? I didn’t realize the excess I lived with, even at 26 years old, until I started traveling the world. So many people around the world live in small one-bedroom apartments, providing enough space for cooking and sleeping.
Living simply has become very attractive to me. I don’t need extra space, unless I’m going to use it to bless others. When I was young, one thing my family often did was allow people to live in our basement. In Virginia, I am surrounded by a network of people who continuously house interns, students, or adults transitioning between jobs. I love to see people blessing one another and sharing God’s wealth and provision. While in YWAM, a speaker once said, “I believe that everything God gives us is his. I live in God’s house, drive God’s car, and spend God’s money. I hold everything God gives me with an open hand. Things pass through my hand every day. I am given things that I pass on to others, but only sometimes does God tell me to close my hand and keep it for myself.” I really like this idea. What I have, whether it be money, a job, food, or anything else, has been given to me by God. Sometimes God calls me to pass on what I have been given and bless others and sometimes he lets me keep it for myself. I want to hold everything in life with an open hand.
Giving and providing for people is a beautiful gift. Time and time again this month we have been given free housing, free coffee, and free meals. Carolyn, a missionary in Bosnia, slept downstairs in her den and gave up her room. Nesha, the woman we lived with in Kosovo, was offended when we referred to her apartment as hers and not ours. Fisnik, in Bosnia, welcomed us into his home for the afternoon. He fed us lunch and shared his story. We only stayed in Konjic for 6 hours and yet he was so encouraged by the time we had together.
God connects people! He brings us together. Erjon, from Albania, said to me, “We may not be from the same culture but we do share the same God.” God surpasses all. He conquers all. I have felt such an amazing connection to the people here in the Balkins. All of the missionaries are inter-connected. They are all working together to spread the gospel. There are so few workers here that distinction between nationality and denomination don’t exist. It is a true reflection of the body of Christ.
“Just as a body, though one has many parts, all its parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
