Upon hearing that I had served as a houseparent at a childrens home the five years before the race, our contact the first week here in Malaysia told his congregation that I was the ‘Mother Theresa of Texas’. At first I kind of freaked out… why would He even compare me to her?! But as this title (or ‘Mama T’ as my teammates now say) has followed me throughout the month by being introduced as it to the other churches and families, it has definitely become a source of inspiration and motivation.
The other night my teammate Angie preached a sermon on being lukewarm. As she gave an illustration using Milo (the Malaysian version of Hot Chocolate), I realized this was me… by talking I can make myself look really pretty, but the reality is that I’m just sitting there giving off steam until I become completely stagnant. In order to be truly effective, I have to pour out and be put to use!
As I’ve thought about the whole ‘being a voice’ thing God has been working with me on the past two years, I see where He’s basically uped the ante now by reminding me that ‘actions speak louder than words.’ God didn’t just set me free so I could sit around and keep talking… If I really want to make an impact on the Kingdom, I’ve got to live out the truth found in 1 Corinthians 4:20 and show that it’s not a matter of talk, but of power! In fact, nothing seems to say it better than this quote by St. Francis of Assissi:
and if necesarry use words’
