“Once upon a time…” “In the beginning…”…all stories have a beginning…”The End”…most stories have an ending…the ‘in between portion” encompasses the clues, character roles, descriptive words/phrases and images that draw the reader into the plot and whet the imaginative appetite. Beginnings are mysterious and set the tone for the rest of the story. Endings are at times predictable; other times the reader is left hanging in the abyss of suspense until the final words are read.Christians know the beginning of God’s story (Genesis) and most know how His story ends (Revelation). We have heard, and can usually repeat with a certain degree of accuracy, the classical Old and New Testament stories: Noah’s ark, the parting of the Red sea, Jonah and the whale, Paul’s conversion, the stoning of Stephen, the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, etc. Some can recite Scripture committed to memory…this knowledge is admirable and is an important part of our faith…but there’s more!
It’s called “our responsibility”~ to go and tell others His story (“history”), sometimes affectionately referred to as “The Good News”! Don’t we desire to share good news? Sure we do! We want others to celebrate with us! Yet, many of us are not as willing to share His Good News”! We “coulda, shoulda, oughta ”…yet opportunities present themselves frequently, and either by commission or omission we let those moments pass us by, hoping someone else will do it….or assuming there will be other opportunities we can grab…perhaps even being oblivious to certain opportunities placed right in our path.
Jesus came to serve, not to be served. His ministry centered on people who were in need, some physically, others mentally and/or emotionally, still others spiritually! He came to heal, to help, to hear their cries…those poor in spirit, those poor in possessions, the lowly, the unattractive, the outcasts…He did it out of obedience to the Father’s call on His life, and He did it with love, humility, sacrifice, joy…and without condemnation or judgment.
This past week Rodney, Benjamin and I were again honored to serve the poor in the Dominican Republic~ adults, teens, children…Dominican and Haitian (long time enemies)…the easy to love and the unlovable. We were reminded again of the fact that most of the world lives in conditions and at the economic level of the Dominican people; as Americans we are the minority, living a standard of life far and beyond the rest of the world! Serving our brothers and sisters on foreign soil was pure joy! The blessings we received far surpassed any possible blessing we may have given them, as the joy of the Lord IS their strength, and is evidenced on their faces, in the actions and by their words! (More about our mission trip to come!)
Be blessed as you visually experience our Dominican family…if and when you feel so led to pray for them, please do so fervently and without ceasing!
With heartfelt joy and lots of love,
2 comments:
oh my goodness--- so wish we could have been there! praising God for your faithfulness and His! love you!
Wow that looks like a great trip. I've been on 2 foreign mission trips. The first was when I was in college at Union we went to Honduras and then I went to Brazil a few years later. There is nothing like a foreign mission trip it will truly change your life.
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