As a pastor I'm sometimes staggered at the privileges that I get to participate in for my "job." These trips are no exception. I've always had a heart for travel, adventure and pursuing knowledge of different cultures and people groups. It's funny to see how God works those desires into fruition when we're following Him. This trip was my forth international missions experience. Once to Peru (2 months), once to the island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for a couple weeks, and now my second two week trip to the Dominican Republic. What a privilege indeed. Something was very different about this trip however. I've seen abject poverty before... especially in Peru, I've seen the cultural differences and the beauty of humanity no matter the skin color or race, I've seen the hope of lives given over to Jesus Christ when all other hope is seemingly gone... one thing that I've never experienced before this trip however was friendship, relationship, and brotherhood.
This is my first ever "return" trip to any destination and as such there are people and faces of friends waiting when you arrive. Despite my deficiencies when it comes to the language, my lack of communication in the past two years, and the seemingly endless miles separating us, there is a bond with the people of the DR, especially pastor Tanis and his wife Ester that is deeper than words can relate. The faces of friends greeting us in the airport and the warm hug of a brother in Christ is the best feeling ever. To "know" people is such a blessing.
This picture is from our final night together as Pastor Tanis and I had the privilege of sharing the love of God with a combined crowd of both Dominicans and Americans worshipping the same God.
All this has gotten me thinking about how little I really "know" people in the States. There are a few close friends (you know who you are) but other than that we live very separated lives, occasionally rubbing shoulders in the social passings we have but generally unfamiliar with each others lives, especially spiritually. I think this kind of American "solo-ism" is probably what infects so much of our relationship with Christ as well. If you're a follower of Jesus, it's gotta be more than, "I go to church sunday." It has to be a deeper knowledge, knowing what moves the heart of God, what matters more than all our materialism, selfishness, and pride. That kind of knowledge requires relationship, and that comes with time spent with the one we're trying to know.
The Bible tells us that God desires for us to know him... that's what the Bible is for after all.... it's His Word made "known" so that we can in turn know it's author. This relationship is beautiful, wonderful, fruitful and personal. It does however, just like our trips to the DR, take effort and planning. We have to be willing to work for it, we have to be willing to intentionally sacrifice both time and resources to develop it.
I return each time from these trips a little more changed than when I left. The same is true of each time we experience or encounter the living God of the Bible. We cannot come away from those times without something in us changing. As God uses these trips in my life, little parts of my heart remain in each memory. Whether the beauty of the Amazon rain forest, the pristine beaches of St. Vincent, or the beauty of a sunrise or star filled night in the Dominican Republic... God never ceases to amaze me with the beauty He's created in this earth. One thing is however more beautiful than any of these "natural wonders" and that is the enduring smiles of the faces of children as we play ball, sing songs, or give piggy back rides... against these there is no sight that compares. My heart breaks to see the poverty, but even in the worst of circumstances, children still have the joy of childlike faith that no man can take away.
I praise God to have gotten this experience again... I hope to make another return in the future, but either way my heart is better for "knowing" the God who created us all.
1 comment:
Good post. I've always loved traveling and experiencing new places and cultures and such. This past year though, I've come to the conclusion more and more that the more valuable things I take away from it are actually the relationships built in the process. I think this really hits on that. Thanks for sharing.
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