I got the great opportunity yesterday to go to church with my mom and my grandma. It was pretty neat to have three generations there.
(Me, Grandma and Mom at Lunch)
The pastor was preaching on the story of the Rich Young Man from Matthew 19:16-30. I have heard this scripture hundreds of times but yesterday it felt like a punch in the gut. I’ve always thought of this story as more of an allegory, be ready to give things up, don’t let possessions get in the way of your relationship with God or the ministry God has for you, etc.
Yesterday the story hit me in a literal sense. Previous to the sermon my plan was to sell most of my possessions before leaving for the race, because carrying a backpack through 11 countries makes you truly evaluate what’s necessary. Then I was going to use the money I got from the sales on me. I figured that a little extra spending money was not going to hurt anyone. That was my attitude until these words of Jesus’ were read, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions
and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21 emphasis added) At this point in my life it’s not just about selling my stuff, it’s about what I do with the money once I have gotten rid of it.
At this point my goal is to sell what I have, and put the money in a separate account which can be used by my team in order to bless people as we travel. That way when we encounter people or churches with financial or physical needs we can have a way to help out. Of course this will be done with cultural sensitivity, in a way that leads people to independence not dependence on us. For example if we see a wall that needs to be painted at an orphanage in India, we can use this fund to buy paints. Or if we meet a woman who needs a weeks worth of groceries we can get them for her.
Thanks for all of you who are reading the blog. I’m so excited to have people following this and praying for me. Please pray for me as my time in the Northwest comes to an end. I’m heading back towards San Diego on Wednesday and will most likely arrive on Thursday evening. Pray for my emotions it’s hard to prepare to leave family and friends.
