Well, the last week of our ATL trip has been nothing short of incredible! The Lord blessed us with this amazing hostel on the island of Utila. We could stay for a reasonable price, and could dive right off the dock and watch the sun set in the water right in our backyard. We were surrounded by travelers from many countries of the world: America, Canada, Italy, Israel, Botswana, England, Ireland, and Australia, to name a few. We got to meet these people and hear their stories, while sharing a few of our own. And we got to hang out all together on this tropical Caribbean island…simply because the Lord saw fit to send us there! Never before have I been more convinced that you cannot out give God!
The Lord has brought clarity in my life over the last week or so. I feel more at peace with a certain concept that I have heard before and have certainly heard over and over again in this last year. For some reason it hadn’t really clicked with me until Utila, somewhere amidst the eclectic throng of backpackers who became my friends. That concept is that ministry is life. God cannot be compartmentalized into nice little boxes labeled “worship” or “missions”, or even “intimacy”. I carry Him with me into all situations. Not once did I try to start a conversation about God or what I believe, because I didn’t have to. It always just came up time and time again; over drinks, over dinner, while swimming, while playing cards, when I was lying out on the beach. Jesus is the most important person in my life, and that will always come across to others. He opens the doors, I just have to walk through them.
So, location and even the type of ministry is irrelevant. The call is the same. Be light. Love Him and be light. I think I realized again that it’s no mistake that I am the way I am or have the type of personality I do. I love being around large groups of people and love having one on one talks and getting to know people. This is my calling. To take that part of my personality and use it for His glory. I hate the mindset that says, “What will I do after the race? What will my ministry be?” I don’t believe in that line of questioning. My ministry is not about an organization or a church or a location or a program. It is about loving on Jesus and telling people what He means to me. I haven’t felt this energized or content in so long, and it’s just because I was being myself and hanging out with people. After a year of language barriers and having things planned out for us, this was like my own personal dream. I got to just be myself and live life and watch the effects. I feel more prepared than ever to go back home because I know that my time of “missions” isn’t over when the trip ends. I won’t go back and twiddle my thumbs until the next big trip comes along. I will live my life.
If I grab this abundant life with both hands and refuse to waste a second of it, ministry will be the obvious byproduct. But hopefully I will be too caught up in the precious moment to notice.
