Reading this title, most of you probably thought I was going to tell you about how incredible traveling is, how blessed I am to have this opportunity, or even, how good it feels to know you are making a difference in the world. But that couldn’t be any further from what my heart feels right now.
Yes, I have a wonderful life and I thank God for it daily. But, I don’t believe it has much to do with living a satisfactory life. The average American, chasing the American dream (or any dream revolved around themselves’ for that matter) would probably stray as far as possible from my life style. For one, it’s not my own. I am not entitled to live for myself anymore. I have been bought with the ultimate price, and the more I realize that, the more I desire to live not for self, but for my father, and it brings about great JOY!
Romans 5:1-2 says
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”I have absolutely no right to be in this place, sharing in God’s glory on Earth, much less in heaven; and to take it a step further, we don’t have to walk in shame, knowing that we are undeserving. But, God tells us to confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing in the Glory!
It goes on to say-
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5As I read this I cant help but become overwhelmed with thankfulness for the few trials that I do face, knowing every step of the way God is using them to strengthen my character, my hope, and wash over me with his love for the world.I am thankful for allllll of the Cambodian children I get to snuggle, bathe, feed, love on, teach, and intercede for.
-I am thankful for community, with all of its’ mess and vulnerability, I am thankful for the women (and men) of God I have the pleasure of serving and living with daily.
-I am thankful for the sights and smells of Cambodia: good, bad and the ugly. In the past week, I have had to stare poverty and abuse in the face, and not be shaken because I know how the story ends.
-I am thankful for alarms, even ones that wake me up at 4 am so I can go out and serve with everything I am, and an AC-less house that teaches me I don’t have to be comfortable to be satisfied in life.
-I am thankful for rice, 3 meals a day to be exact. And, for staple foods that fill our bellies so we have strength to use our bodies for His service.
-I am thankful for my freedom. The freedom to choose into Gods plan for my life, to not be controlled like a robot, but to consciously use my God-given passions to further the kingdom; the freedom to worship and pray; something that could never be taken away from me by any powers of this world; and the freedom to live in abundant grace, knowing my father is waiting to catch me whenever I fail.
This past week that I’ve been working at Crossing Cambodia, has already proved to be one of the hardest physically and emotionally, but it also has proved to be one of the most rewarding and renewing season in my walk of life. To serve the least of these, often means holding a sleeping child, to tired to go to school because they’ve been out begging most of the night. Or, sometimes, it means braiding hair. Showing someone you are willing to spend your time and effort on making them look good, despite knowing they are loaded with lice.
This is why I love my life. I do what I do because it makes me alive. It’s crazy how living the life God designed for you in the first place, can actually be the thing that makes you fully alive. The thing that gets your heart pumping with uncontrollable love, righteous anger, or a joy like no other. A passion backed with purpose, and a hope for the future. I wonder what the world would look like if Christians stopped running to the world to give them life, and started running back to the source.
“The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive” -Irenaus
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