Yesterday, my team and I went to ministry and on the way there we saw a man laying on the steps with his daughter layed across him. His daughter looked like a burned victim with big splotches of red on her nose, chin and forehead.
Our ministry this month is one where we hang out and build relationships with college students who need a safe place to come between classes and do bible study or play games or study- whatever they want to do.
Once we got in and sat down we started talking about what we saw. I'm not going to lie. I didn't see the man but the three of the girls on the team did and their hearts were broken for him.
We see homeless constantly and so it was kind of a big deal that all of them broke for the same exact man.
We had packed lunches that day and all decided to give them up for him.
So we left.
I had the priviledge of being the one that carried all 8 sandwiches. We stopped on the way to the man and gave sandwiches to whomever was asking for something. I knew I needed to make sure I said Jesus's name at some point before we left any of these people.
Walking out of our ministry and into another I was so excited. This is the world race I invisioned. Not that we hadn't fed the needy before but I just mean… hearts were broken and we did something we felt led to do, we did something unplanned and something that was because God is making our hearts more like Him.
This excitment didn't last long.
The first lady we gave a sandwich to- took the sandwich and held out her other hand for money. We ran into two little girls and they just put the sandwiches next to them. By the time we got to the man we originally came out there for, he had a pile of food and put our sandwiches on top of that.
These people don't need food. They need Jesus.
But even then, they didn't speak english and so we couldn't even share that with them.
We prayed for these people. We watched as the loving father gave his daughter a drink we bought him before he took any. His daughter, MaryAnne, wasn't a burn victim. She has blood cancer. Pray for her.
Though it was good to pray for them, i felt so inadiquate. I felt pointless. What is the point when I have nothing they really need or cant communicate the one thing worth living for?
We as christians don't understand the mighty impact we have on the world.
There are a million unseen things that could have happened that I wasn't aware of.
Sure a bunch of giant white people gathered around a father and daughter praying probably drew some attention- who knows who saw, who knows what that did when we saw.
MaryAnne might have been healed that night.
The little girls might not have seen a smile from someone in weeks.
The woman might have been brushed off all day and we stopped.
We come in the name of Jesus and we don't know what God will use but all we can do is love to the best of our ability.
We impact others.
When I was at home, I didn't really realize how my actions and words really did affect those around me. Your mouth is full of things that can destroy or lift up people. Everytime you open your mouth to speak, you impact. Don't believe me?
Do you remember something mean someone said to you in second grade? Do you remember a compliment a teacher gave you? Can you think of a time someone sincerly asked you how you were when you needed to talk?
I know I can.
Not that we should let other's determine how we feel about ourselves at all but know that if you call yourself a christian, you are coming in the name of Jesus.
If you are going to class, don't talk or smile to anyone, you complain about the couse the whole time, you don't listen to the teacher, you aren't patient with random comments or questions students have—- what joy are you showing.
Not saying you need to be fake. But what's the point if you aren't going to love.
Who cares if people don't call you the "funniest"- sacrifice your humor if it is for the good of someone else.
Who cares if people think you are an idiot for walking across campus and smile and ask how people are doing- gosh there are so many times I look back at being on campus and seeing someone crying and I never stopped for them.
I should have.
They might reject me but just like yesterday- God doesn't call us to fix everyone's problems, He calls us to love people to the best of our ability.
Be like the good samaritian, who cares what your schedule is- stop when you see an opportunity to love.
(Luke 10:25-37)
I'm really just talking to myself when I write this.
I feel really convicted of not putting weight on my own words sometimes or not loving when I could have.
Ephesians 5:3
John 15:12
