Reflection 3: The eternal hope of the Gospel

This post is somewhat harder for me to write than others... there is something about the reality of eternity and how our daily lives effect eternity that humbles me and often times leaves me speechless... so I will probably do a poor attempt to blog these thoughts. [the included photos are not the specific people in the stories but are a glimpse into the people we met]

Something I saw over the last few weeks was a people void of eternal hope. Now I'll be honest, that didn't translate into seeing depressed people or people who felt as if something was lacking in their life. Despite physical poverty and a lack of things as we know them here in America, they were more content, hospitable and grateful than most Americans and Christians I know. Do with that what you will... but as I grew to love these people, it hit me during one of our last days working.

A few of us had been invited into the home of a woman probably near 50 years old. As we sat around her stove, sitting on small wooden stools, we attempted to communicate with her. We were able to give her a picture taken from a trip two years prior. In this photo was her mother and two of the woman's grandchildren. One year ago, her mother had passed away. As we spoke with her we realized this was the only photo she had of her mother. We sat with her for a while as she stared at the photo and told us stories of her mother, reminiscing on stories and memories. It was a blessing to be able to comfort her in her pain. And then it hit me... she had no hope of seeing her mother with joy. There was no real comfort I could give this woman. This is the harsh reality of life.

Later that day we were walking with a young boy we had built a friendship with over the course of the day. His smile was captivating. His desire to help us, being strangers, challenged my willingness to serve. We would somehow communicate and laugh at different times and he was just such a sweet friend. As the day was coming to a close he wanted to show us his home and introduce us, his new friends, to his family. So we went to two different homes drinking tea and greeting his family. Then he did something that rarely happens, he took us to their worship room, quite an honor for us being foreigners to get to see. Now who and how he worships I will leave off but once again, the sinking feeling of hopelessness overtook me. This boy, who was my friend was excited and eager to share with me his life had no true hope. I left knowing where he stood in the scope of eternity.

Hope. Hope of eternity and hope for today. That is my daily reality and the reality of the Gospel. Thinking through these stories I thought of Philippians 1 where Paul talks about "desiring to depart and be with Christ" and how there are so many days when the pain of this world forces me to desire to depart and be with my Savior. And yet, here I am... a steward of the mysteries of the Gospel. Think right now of the people in your life who don't have that hope, whose thoughts of departing this earth are not ones of hope, but of fear or doubt or even apathy.

How are we doing as stewards of the mysteries of the Gospel? We know people who have no hope for here and eternity and I think that sadly we often respond to that with apathy rather than urgency and brokenness. Let us beg and plead our Dad to daily remind us of the death from which we have been rescued and then offer to others the eternal hope of the Gospel. He is redeeming this world... don't be left on the sidelines.

Reflection 2: God is in the details.

This is a photo of the Emerging Leaders nearing the end of our trip... We were separated into two teams during the work portion of the trip and so we were pretty much not in communication with each other. Getting to pray specifically for each other during that time was an awesome experience of relying solely upon the Lord and waiting for Him to work, specifically in regards to health of two of the guys on the mountain...

One story I wanted to share about God being involved in the details, involves this beauty above. This van and I are good friends at this point! We have spent many hours together... on some pretty bumpy roads, to say the least. We would ride out in the mornings and come back into a more established city in the later afternoons, in order to not be driving on some scary roads in the dark. One afternoon, we were setting out to leave from the work area and we had to gather our 7 team members. Well, 4 of us were on a back road and we couldn't find the other 3 team members. As we were driving on this back road, we came upon a group of men driving a tractor pulling a trailer of manure (a lot of manure) over this land bridge. As they were coming over, the trailer fell off the side, still connected to the tractor, and blocking us from passing.

So we were stuck... our van couldn't pass the tractor/trailer of manure and there was no other way out. This was at 4:30 pm... the time we always left... and our team was separated and without cell phone service. So... for the next 45 minutes or so we watched about 15 men problem solve as to how to get the trailer to move. Lets just say, there were MANY failed efforts at moving this thing, and for the 4 Americans watching and helping as we could... it wasn't looking promising at all. At this point, I'm thinking about what staying in the village that night would look like and started rationing food which we ate most of typically on the drive back everyday. It is one of those moments where you just don't have control at all and have to just wait... (I'm not good at that).

At about 5:15, Andrew and I decide we should go look for the rest of our team on foot. So we grab water and things... setting out to just go look for them. Also note, these villages are pretty large with hills and things that could create a lot of confusion. Anyways... by 5:30 we have a plan and walk away from the tractor/trailer situation kind of beat down by what the results of staying overnight could bring. They had made such little progress in the last hour or so that it just wasn't looking good.

As we walk away at 5:30... I just start praying out loud about the situation, asking that God would give them wisdom and help them work together to move the trailer. Then it just comes out of my mouth, and I say, "Dad, 15 minutes. 15 minutes. I just ask that you would move that trailer in the next 15 minutes." I am thinking in my head at that point... that is a pretty bold prayer to pray because there is NO WAY that is gonna happen.

Andrew and I keep walking and find our friends at 5:40... another ANSWER because that could have been a real dilemma. So we gather together and start walking back and I look at my watch and turn to Andrew and say, "Only 5 minutes left...", to which I am still really not thinking anything will happen.

As we are walking back to the van and telling them everything going on and the fear of either driving back in the dark or the unknowns of staying in the village overnight, we come over this little hill right at 5:45 (15 minutes after the prayer)... As we came over this hill we could see the van and the tractor/trailer and IT WAS PULLING AWAY! Exactly, and I mean exactly, 15 minutes after I prayed the thing was driving away. I was seriously in shock and started jumping up and down in excitement at the answer to prayer. We ran over to the van and learned they had figured out what to do and had made it happen in those 15 minutes we were away!

I mean... I prayed specifically for 15 minutes. We prayed specifically that they would work together and move that tractor/trailer. We prayed specifically that we would make it home that night before a certain time. We prayed that we would find and gather back with our friends. We prayed for our friends on the mountain that they would be healed of altitude sickness. We prayed specifically for friendships to be found.... And ALL OF THESE WERE ANSWERED. I mean to crazy specifics.

Our Dad cares specifically about us and meets our needs... He is in the details my friends and you can trust Him today to work out those details.

Reflection 1: He Gives & He Gives & He Gives...

We got back from our trip a few days ago and I am still reflecting on the many things I saw and experienced. With ease I decided the first post I want to write about is the reality of prayer. I didn't have a Bible on the trip, though I did have a few passages written down. The most prevailing verses that I thought about, I didn't have written but are the ones below...

"Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Matthew 7: 9-11

Throughout the trip these verses came to mind because we saw the constant reality that God loves and cares for His people. When we were there, everyday we were faced with realities and struggles that we had no control over: sickness, uncertainty, danger, travel, language barriers and frustrations... and yet, all of them were handled by our gracious Father. A dear friend of mine, Suzanne, is known for the phrase, "He gives and He gives and He gives." This phrase came to mind a lot on this trip. Our Dad gives us good things... and we saw Him do this over and over and over again. He cares intimately for us and will meet our needs. I mean He cares about little birds! I think He can handle our requests.

Everyday, driving out to the area where we were working we pulled over and parked overlooking this lake and asked God to work in and through us, to protect, heal and strengthen us. Just the view of the lake was a huge gift we got to experience everyday!

It is a sweet reality to live and bask in the good gifts of our Dad. His love and provision were enveloping throughout our trip and learning to see His provision as my daily reality here in Austin has been so sweet. It's not that God answers more prayer there than here... it's that I don't acknowledge His goodness daily. I don't ask for a safe ride home from HEB because I just assume it will happen... but isn't God the one who holds your car in His hands as you drive? And I don't wonder about where my next meal will come from when my pantry is full... but isn't God the one who supplies all of the things that enable me to have food at my home? So thank Him today for meeting your needs both big and small or go before Him and lay your requests before Him. Your Dad knows what you need and cares deeply to commune with you... let us acknowledge His goodness together.