As I mentioned in my previous post, I went with a group of Young Adults from our church on a mission trip to Tuscaloosa, AL. April 25-28th, a storm system, producing more than 330 tornadoes, ripped through the Southern states leaving broad swaths of once hilly, tree- or house-covered land completely flatten and bare. Amazingly, there were so many areas where one building would be completely unrecognizable, yet the building across the street appeared relatively unfazed. In one evening so many lives were changed forever. Many of the people we met, and worked with, lived miles from where the tornadoes hit. So many times we heard these volunteers say, "we often talk about our lives as before the tornadoes hit and after." J was a laid off employee, now she spends 5 days a week practically from sun up to sun down, repairing damaged homes and roofs and working with volunteer teams. M was a school teacher and spends her days coordinating an entire ministry. C was a stay at home mom and is now the "interior decorator" of the group- making sure paint colors and furnishings match so that people don't just have a hodge podge collection of donated stuff, but actually have a place that "feels" like home. There were many other people, with many similar stories.
As I've been thinking about on the trip, that phrase, said almost jokingly by these people, has continued to stick with me. Their lives, their purposes, their goals are radically different than they were 3 months ago. How they think, how they spend their time, their money, their resources stands in stark contrast to what they did before April 27th.
I wonder how often we, as Christians, view our lives that same way. The life I had before Christ and the life I have after. Is it different? Can we talk about our lives in the same way- with the same dramatic changes to our goals, our purpose? Do we spend our time, our money, our resources differently than we did before we came to believe in Jesus? Are we different people from the inside out? Would other people notice a difference in us if they knew us before and know us now?
Can we say, "we often talk about our lives as before Christ changed me and after"?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Mission Trip Reflection
When you're doing the Lord's work, satan will do everything he can to distract and dissuade you. Case in point: June 22-26, seven folks from our church's Young Adult ministry went on an extended weekend mission trip to Tuscaloosa, AL. We helped in a distribution center, worked on a few damaged homes, toured the devastation that was (and is) still incredible- even 2 months after the tornadoes stormed through tossing about cars, store fronts, and entire buildings as though they were weightless, and spent an afternoon handing out food, toys, and drinks to area residents. Seems straight forward enough, right?
EXCEPT
Less than a month before the mission trip, we were told by another organization we had been planning with since the tornadoes hit that there wasn't any work currently available and we'd need to find a different place to serve.
The DAY OF the trip, we found out that the lodging that was set up for us wouldn't work and we no longer had a place to stay that night.
Halfway down, heading South into hotter and hotter weather, the A/C in the 12 passenger van we were riding in completely died; leaving us zooming down the Interstate with only the front two windows completely rolled down for circulating air.
BUT GOD
totally worked it out that within hours we found Project Blessings in Tuscaloosa, AL and they were MORE than happy to have us come down to volunteer.
totally worked it out that within hours we found a free place to stay the first night and MUCH more fitting accommodations for the remainder of our time in AL (minus the ticks, roaches, and snakes).
gave everyone wonderful, positive attitudes, maintained a sense of humor and unity within the group, and kept complaining about the heat to a bare minimum.
In our lives, satan does so much to break us down, turn our focus inward on ourselves, blind us from seeing the Lord's hand and will for us. But God has so much more in store for us if we're able to see from His perspective. We can't often change the circumstances or situations that we're in in our lives, but, with the Lord's help, we can change our perspectives and our responses to them.
Blessings!
EXCEPT
Less than a month before the mission trip, we were told by another organization we had been planning with since the tornadoes hit that there wasn't any work currently available and we'd need to find a different place to serve.
The DAY OF the trip, we found out that the lodging that was set up for us wouldn't work and we no longer had a place to stay that night.
Halfway down, heading South into hotter and hotter weather, the A/C in the 12 passenger van we were riding in completely died; leaving us zooming down the Interstate with only the front two windows completely rolled down for circulating air.
BUT GOD
totally worked it out that within hours we found Project Blessings in Tuscaloosa, AL and they were MORE than happy to have us come down to volunteer.
totally worked it out that within hours we found a free place to stay the first night and MUCH more fitting accommodations for the remainder of our time in AL (minus the ticks, roaches, and snakes).
gave everyone wonderful, positive attitudes, maintained a sense of humor and unity within the group, and kept complaining about the heat to a bare minimum.
In our lives, satan does so much to break us down, turn our focus inward on ourselves, blind us from seeing the Lord's hand and will for us. But God has so much more in store for us if we're able to see from His perspective. We can't often change the circumstances or situations that we're in in our lives, but, with the Lord's help, we can change our perspectives and our responses to them.
Blessings!
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