This past week was our first full week of ministry in Ecuador, and as mentioned in my last blog post, my team and I are serving at a camp for people with mental and physical disabilities. It hasn’t been the easiest ministry for myself considering how much I love to talk. I already barely speak any Spanish and with the campers, there is very minimal verbal communication. However, the Lord has been teaching me so much about loving people without my words, and that acts of love and service can show the Gospel just as much as my loud mouth.
In the mornings at camp we typically do manual labor such as cutting down trees, rebuilding chairs, or building wheelchair ramps. After that, we eat lunch and help feed the campers. One day this week, I was helping feed the same man mentioned in my last blog, and let me tell you, it was quite the process. This man is filled with so much joy and absolutely loves dancing and singing in his wheelchair. Every bite consisted of my broken Spanish saying “Look! Open up! Eat!” When he would look at me, he would see his food and realize that what I had was something he liked, took a bite, but then quickly got distracted again. And the process repeated after regaining his attention from his dancing.
This is so often how I am when the Lord communicates something with me. He says “Luke, look at me. What I have for you is good and is so much better than what you’re doing.” But so often I am distracted by dancing or social media or the people around me that I don’t hear Him or pay attention to His voice. But when I finally listen and hear what the Lord has for me, it’s so, so good. But in order to hear Him, I have to slow down or even take a break from the things that I want to do to spend time tuning into the Father.
I would encourage you all to do the same. Turn off your phone and your TV. Spend time in the Word and listening to what the Lord has for you. I promise you that what he has is going to be better than anything you have planned.
Slow down. Look to the Lord. Listen to what He has for you. Take action.
Until next time,
Luke
