The world might call it foolish to travel miles away from home, just to hold a dirty child and tell them they are beautiful. The world might call it foolish to save your money for over a year, just to have a couple coins to buy a pastry for a child or just to have enough money to have a never ending supply of stickers. The world might call it foolish to sit for two hours with a child reading books that I don’t understand.
But I’m not here to please the world. I’m not doing this for your approval. I’m not doing this to show you what a good Christian I am. I’m doing this because Jesus told me to love. Because He said that when we see those that are hurting and in need, we are looking into His eyes. Because as I learn to love the dirt encrusted families, I am learning how to love the clean shiny families in America. "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’" ~Matthew 25:37-40 I’m not a Savior and that was never my job. My job isn’t to be the answer to their problems. God is their answer, God is their Savior, and God cares more about them then I ever could. But I’m called to humble myself and just love. I’m called to sit on the dirty floor and color with a child as their mother sit in a class and learns about her worth as a woman. I’m called to put a puzzle together with a child whose nose won't stop running because he has some type of flu. I’m called to hug that coughing child, even though I have no idea what he has and what I might get. I don’t mind eating crackers everyday if it means I can afford to travel across the world and hug a precious girl living with her five other siblings in a dirty house... Sometimes it’s easy to look at my privileged life with scorn. To wonder why I am so blessed, when others have nothing. To realize it’s a privilege that I, a 20-year-old girl, can save up enough money from babysitting and office work to pay for a trip across an ocean. The average salary in Bolivia is about $500 a month, and that’s only if you have a good job. That’s less than I pay a month for rent in Philadelphia...or, should I say, less than my parents pay for rent. It’s so easy to feel spoiled. To wonder what this life means. To wonder what it means that I can have 10 pairs of jeans in my closet and only wear 3 of them. But, God hasn't called me to judge and condemn my life. For some reason I was born in America. For some reason I'm in school to be a Physician Assistant. For some reason I am here, for such a time as this. God has a plan. God has it all under control. I realize that I need to honor God with all I am and all I have. It’s easy to be confused and to try to figure out the world. To try to understand all the injustices and inequality. But God never called us to do that. He only called us to seek Him and to hear and obey His voice. He guides people and leads them to lay down their lives. As we lay our lives down, He is able to use us. Maybe that means traveling to Africa or South America. Or, maybe it’s buying coffee for someone at Starbucks. Yea, that’s right, maybe its spending $7 for an overpriced coffee, to show someone that there is a God that loves them. "But that $7 is about 50Bs, and with that 50Bs I could buy a lot of food for a family in Bolivia." But we can’t think that way. Step by step we have to follow God’s leading. Follow His calling. We are not the ones to say what is just or what isn’t just. We are only called to follow after God. We need to block out the voices of the world and tune into His voice. I’ve gotten the chance to see a glimpse of the world, and I am hungry for more. But I am hungrier to see God’s people loved, to see His light fill the earth, and to obey His voice. If that means I spend the rest of my life living in Pennsylvania, serving the rich, then I need to be obedient and serve with joy. That isn’t what I want, but who am I to question what God’s plan for my life is. Who am to say what is the right way to serve Him. Who am I to say who deserves His love and who doesn’t. Yes, God has put desires and dreams in my heart. But no matter what, I want to serve Him. If they are my dreams and not His, then I want to be able to give them up. ... I've been in Bolivia for five weeks. In four days I will be returning to the States. As my time here draws to a close, I am learning how I will take the experiences I've had in Bolivia and apply them to my life at home. It's a weird concept to see those in poverty and think about how I will soon be back in my life of luxury. It's crazy to think about how I will return to University in 3 weeks. To think about how University in Bolivia is free, but many people still cannot go because they have to work to provide for their families. ... I don't know what all of this means. I don't know what poverty should mean to me and what my life of luxury should mean to me. But, as I said before, I don't think it should result in self condemnation or a hate of all things fancy. Instead of looking around in confusion at all the inequality in the world, I think I only need to look to God. To see what He says about all of this. To see what He wants me to do. To see where He is leading me. ...And that concludes this week's ramblings :)
2 Comments
Theresa k Coyle
6/26/2016 07:33:26 pm
Dear Chantal,my heart has been so touched by everything you have experienced on this journey.i believe there are two amazing outcomes of your trip(much more I am sure).When Jesus went into the wilderness 40 days tempted by the devil He came out with the power and fire of the Holy Spirit.i believed you have gained a new level of power I
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Eunice De Barros
7/2/2016 04:28:15 pm
Darling you term them your ramblings ..... I see your heart, I see your sincerity and honest questioning of what God's will is for your life.. God knows your heart and He knows the plans he has for you - stay in tune with Him and in His time He will reveal His plans for you.
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