First things first . . . . my little cousin Megan, one of my favorite people in the world, just got engaged!!! So that’s my shoutout! If you know her and can get a hold of her- throw a congratulations her way. Secondly, I AM FULLY FUNDED! The Lord has provided, the weight has been lifted, and I am set for the rest of this wonderful experience. Thirdly, just wanted to apologize for slipping on these blogs. I’m working on catching up, so be looking out for a second one right after this!
My grandfather taught me to play chess when I was eight. I would call myself a “good” player; not great, not horrible- but decent. In all my years, I certainly never thought of chess as a ministry opportunity. But as it turned out in Bolivia, that’s exactly what it became. When the month began, our mission was to simply minister to two groups of troubled teens. There was a girl’s house and a guys house; I ended up in the guy’s house. In the guys house, there’s about an hour of TV a day and no wifi. They have their meals, their chores, and loads of downtime. It was during this down time one day that I discovered some of the boys were adept chess players. I played several games with each of them. As the days progressed, I played more and more, especially with one particular boy named Stephen (whose real name will not be revealed here for privacy purposes- Stephen will suffice). Eventually, he was my only opponent, but we would play up to ten games a day. His strategy never wavered. He thought of pawns and knights as perfectly useless. He would put me in check as soon as possible, then retreat. I would counter, and normally win. In fact, the only games I lost were the ones where I would make an incredibly foolish, rookie move. He never really improved.
It was revealed to me by the two guys on my team, RJ and Jon, that it was not about winning or losing. I knew this already obviously, but it wasn’t even about him getting better or teaching him to play. It was about merely spending time with him. When Stephen leaves the boys home in a few months, he won’t remember how many games he won or lost, my strategy, or maybe even my name. But he WILL remember that there was an American who played chess with him for hours on end during the holidays. While my teammates were cooking, worshipping, or helping the boys with their chores, Jon told me it was important that I keep playing chess.
I’ll get back to this I promise- but I want to talk about a movie we watched in Bolivia called, “The Heart of Man.” It’s a portrayal of the Prodigal Son. The drama intertwines interviews from pastors, prominent Christian authors, and stories of men who strayed from the faith before their graceful redemption. In one interview, a young pastor talks about an encounter he has with the Holy Spirit . . .
Immediately after giving a sermon on the dangers of lust, he returns home to binge-watch pornography. Overcome with hypocrisy, guilt, and shame, he has a vision of Christ. Christ is with him in a prison cafeteria sitting across the table from him eating lunch. The man asks, “Will you eat another meal with me?” Christ says, “I’ll eat with you any time you want. By the way the door is open; you can leave any time you want.” Christ is not angry, His eyes are fixed on the pastor’s eyes, and He loves him. And he doesn’t demand that he stop sinning. He demands He be invited into that moment, to help the man understand how he got into that moment, and to help him search for what he’s really searching for. The young pastor only understands his worth and how loved he truly is when he realizes God is with him in his darkest moments. God is with him when he strays. In prison, in sickness, and in addiction, and in relapse, God is with him. He doesn’t need God’s wisdom. He needs to know that he is loved.
The boys in this home in Bolivia struggle with violent habits, drugs, alcohol, pornography; you name it. They didn’t need another “Just Say No” lecture from me. Stephen didn’t need my wisdom or my correction. He didn’t need to learn how to be a better chess player. He needed to be loved, to know He is a treasured possession. Thus, I played chess for a month. Like I said earlier, he might not remember much else, but he will remember that he was worth my time. That’s why this simple game was important. Despite my food poisoning, altitude sickness, and first Christmas away from my family, it was worth it.
PS- Now that I’m fully funded, please consider donating to my friend Jon and his wife Kelsey’s trip at jonandkelseyshears.theworldrace.org
Thanks and God Bless!
-Matt
