Reality Check

It didn't take long...

My feelings of pride that I am doing the right things finally caught up with me. I was starting to pat myself on the back for feeding strangers and teaching my girls about the importance of God's command to "go ye therefore."

Then, within two hours of doing one of my most (seemingly) radical "go ye's," I got a reality check. It turns out, that, as much as I know and love God, I'm not quite ready to be Jesus to the "least of these."

As we arrived at the home for the mentally challenged, I knew it would be a difficult experience. Not only was there the cultural barrier to overcome, but now, I was going to be interacting with people who were not fully aware of how the rest of us define personal space.

Sure enough, it took no more than 10 minutes for me to physically back away from an out stretched arm of one of the residents. When he saw me back off, he became aware enough to go and wash his hands, thinking this was the cause of my hesitation. But it wasn't. And we both felt bad. He, because I had rejected his outstretched arm. I, because I know that Jesus would have taken that outstretched arm and turned it into a full embrace.

I felt such disappointment in myself. It seems this was a gut check I needed. An opportunity for me to view myself as I truly am - still human with a long way to go until I can really claim that I love others as Jesus loves them.

We all need these every once in a while...

Comments

  1. Mozi EsmeSat Jun 30, 11:39:00 PM EDT

    Thanks for sharing what we all experience...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zach GreenleeSun Jul 01, 02:34:00 AM EDT

    digest and keep moving.... its how paramedics deal with our initial recoil when encountering something new to us (which happens all the time). Shame you shouldn't feel, but joy.... oh joy! You just had another life-altering learning experience and one more thing that you can build on. Next time it happens, it wont be new to you, so you wont react the same way. I have to admit, I'm ridiculously excited for all of you and plan to join you guys next time. We always seem to grow so much when we step out of our comfort zones like this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. No-Yarn-For-YouSun Jul 01, 12:17:00 PM EDT

    We're on the planet many years (most of us) for VERY good reason ;) If we knew all there was to know and if our only goal was salvation, we'd be lifted right up at that moment. To have realized this moment for what it was means your heart is soft and teachable, which is a beautiful thing ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSun Jul 01, 11:41:00 PM EDT

    Jennifer it is easy to do things in the US, even in our environment with the homeless, or not just like us people, and think the little things we do are great Jesus moments. But you will be amazed at how you feel after spending time outside the US working with people. You will learn you are not going there to give them something, or bless them, but to see how much you need and are blessed, and how good the US is.Judy Stiltner KBC judy@kathleenbaptistcec.com

    ReplyDelete

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