Here’s some real pictures of me loving on some kids in Thailand:
Here’s the real story:
Ministry this past Sunday was unexpected. I had just finished eating my breakfast, and I was sitting in the kitchen waiting to get ready for church when a squad-mate frantically ran in asking for 2 people to fill in for her teammates who weren’t feeling good. I got ready in 2 minutes and somehow found myself 30 minutes later at a monastery standing in front of a classroom of approximately 20 refugee kids, who never sat down, calling me “teacher.”
The little boys drew inappropriate pictures on everything. They flipped everyone off. My friend and I quickly learned they wanted to play “head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” so they could see down our shirts when we touched our toes. They slapped the little girls. They pretended not to speak or understand any English although they were rather fluent. The little girls all bullied one certain girl in the class. One boy in a fit of rage fell and hit his head on a desk, and it was bleeding before my friend and I even knew what was going on. To say the least, those pictures at the beginning weren’t an accurate depiction of my day. That last little bit when we got to just love on the kids and snap a few pictures with them (instead of constantly trying to get them to sit down and learn) was just a fraction of what the day held. However, had I not told you the real story of what my day was like, you may have very well assumed I had a great day loving on some Thai kids at an orphanage or something.
How often do we compare our entire lives to one person’s snippet of their day? How often do we compare our walks with The Lord and where He’s placed us to someone else’s because of their location and/or “cool” pictures from some “cool” ministry? Ministry isn’t and was never meant to be “cool” (although it definitely can be because God is the coolest). However, the point is: Yes, Thailand is incredible. It’s exciting. It’s breathtaking. So is America. So is Nepal. So is every place God created on this planet – He made everything beautiful and is still in the business of doing so. Living a life of faith does not become easier in an unfamiliar place no matter how beautiful or exciting. It’s not more comfortable. It’s just about your perspective. You still have to choose to be intentional about your relationship with The Lord daily. You still have to choose to lay down your pride and your desires and your life to serve those around you. You still have to choose to break the ice even when it’s awkward in order to share Christ.
Since beginning this journey abroad, I’ve realized how often we can make missions look so enticing and wonderful and “better than“ or ”cooler than” living our The Great Commission at home. It’s fun to share the cool stuff and the neat places, but it’s not fun to fall into or cause someone else to fall into the comparison trap. I’ve learned there’s a fine line in what is beneficial to share about our journey and what all God is doing wherever He takes us. I am so passionate about people telling their stories and what The Lord is doing in their lives, but I am also passionate about people having an awareness of what their message conveys and what their motives behind sharing are. There’s this fear of sharing things that exists because the photo isn’t the pretty stuff, it doesn’t fit with an Instagram theme, a cute caption isn’t working out, the day was actually a hard one and it’s not so fun to talk about, the list goes on and on… I feel like there’s an authenticity we keep missing. Yes, it’s important to share the highs and the good days, but there is so much power and conviction and growth that comes in sharing the hard things with one another. Being vulnerable about our lives and our stories holds the ability to cast out comparison, anxiety, depression, and the lie that you are alone!!!
Next time you find yourself scrolling on social media or looking at pictures of others and comparing your life and where The Lord has placed you to snapshots of other people’s lives, keep in mind that you never know what went on behind the lens. Next time you fear posting that not-so-high-quality picture that you really want to or sharing your real story that’s a hard one – just do it (no Nike pun intended). Your story has value and power! Remember: life is life for everyone no matter how often they capture the “perfect moment” or how much they edit their pictures.
Love in Christ,
Maeci
