Kingdom moments

Before I entered the building, I whispered a prayer, “Lord, give me your strength not to cry and enable me to love your children like you would love them.” Then, it happened. The moment I entered the building, I entered into a different world. All the descriptions and stories shared with me from a few of my teammates (Jessica, Krystle, and Rachel) matched the alive painting before me.

[Squadmate Nikki from Team Frontline serving at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Disabled]

I walked around the room and my eyes locked with one little boy who was lying in what appeared to be like a hospital bed. He reached for my hand and held it as I said Jambo [Hello in Swahili] rafiki [friend]. I spent a few moments there at his bedside saying the few words I knew in Swahili and smiling with my new friend. While I was standing there, words from my teammate and friend Krystle flooded my mind. She had gone to Mother Teresa’s home for the disabled last week and had connected with Lauren*, one of the girls staying at the home. During Krystle’s visit, she reflected on the day when Lauren and her will be sitting at the banquet table in heaven with new transformed bodies. I could not help but look at every person in the room through a different lense, a kingdom lense. This young boy who is crippled and lying in bed will be at the banquet table one day. Philippians 3:20-21 states “. . . our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” For a few moments, the world had faded into the background and I was enjoying the beauty of the moment- how I believe we should live life.

[Me and my lunch buddy]

 

I glanced around the room and saw several of my teammates experiencing kingdom moments. We began serving lunch and feeding our friends. I surveyed the room and walked towards the center of the room where a girl was seated. We had a grand time laughing and smiling during lunch. I fed her lunch of bananas, ugali, and vegetables. Worship music infused the air, I immediately thought of 1 Corithians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I’ve read this verse several times; however, I had never imagined this scene. As I sat there and fed her, I experienced another kingdom moment.

[Photo credit to Josh and Bri Rene and Rachel Duff-Banks]

 

“Seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) has been the overarching theme of this past week. I believe that as followers of Christ we carry the Gospel with us wherever we go. I thought that the morning’s events were strong enough reminders of living out Matthew 6:33. Little did I know what would happen that afternoon.