After being in Mexico for a week working and serving the people there it is definitely a fulfilling “mountain top” experience. A person feels purpose and satisfaction from doing what God has put them on this earth to do: Love one another and serve in His name. On all the trips that I have taken to do this ,there comes a point when I must return home to the life I left behind. I had temporarily exited the hectic, fast paced lifestyle of work, school, kids, hobbies, family and church activities. This life was traded in for a short glimpse of how Jesus lived day to day. His life was far from glamorous or envied, but it was satisfying and filled with purpose. The purpose was to live out a life of serving others in love that in this they might see a true picture of His Father in Heave. Upon the return home I am changed forever by the sights that I have seen, smelled, touched, and embraced. This time of transition can be difficult and tumultuous. It is the time of reintegration to my pre-trip life and routines.
Everything has a different look. I examine my life more closely and ask a myriad of questions. Do Ireally need more clothes, a new vehicle, a bigger house? Is it necessary to go out to eat as much as I do? Can my money be spent more frugally in order to give more to those who need the basics of life? Is there a place that I can apply these acts of service inmy own hometown? So many things have changed in my outlook on life that it can be overwhelming to the people around us me, as well as my own self.
A song came to mind that speaks volumes about how the world views us as Christ followers. The song is by Mercy Me and is called “Crazy”. I encourage you to listen to it through this link and allow the words to penetrate you heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxffzHEU1gY \
The overall message of the song is "Why would I spent my life doing everything that is opposite of what the world thinks is normal. We long for the day our life ends here, we point our lives towards another man instead of ourselves, we live our lives in the trust and care of another man, and we blindly give our life to promises of unseen things. This is a big pill for the world of self-sufficiency to swallow. It goes against all that is taught to us by our culture. This is where the spiritual and worldly clash draws swords. Our flesh longs for many of these earthly things because it gives up immediate, temporary relief from the pain in this world. As Christ-followers, we are called to suffer through these earthly hunger pangs and allow the One to fill us with His inner strength that is eternal. It outlasts any of the cheap thrills that the world can offer. By grasping onto true fulfillment many of struggles and trials of this life can be traversed with an eternal perspective.
This has been demonstrated to me so vividly in the past month with a close family friend who is battling cancer and the odds are against him right now. He is in a place that I can't comprehend. Knowing that death could come at anytime, but knowing that God is more present in his life than one could understand. From the outside it seems sad that a man like this has to suffer and leave a family and community that so dearly loves him. People of the world would ask why would a man like this have to suffer instead of one who is less influential and loved by so many? When we look through eternal eyes, it becomes a bit more clear. We ask why not? How many have seen and experienced his true love and commitment to the One who saved his soul. He is having an outstanding impact on hundreds and maybe even thousands of people by how he is embracing this fight by allowing Jesus to continue leading his life. I am a changed person by seeing his love and strength in the face of adversity. He truly loves living but is more taken by living loved by the Jesus. Thank you Mr. Rick for your influence in the life of me and my family. We are selfishly praying for a miracle but know that Our Savior is totally in control at all times of those who love Him! Your life is a true picture of how to live in the will of the Father.
As the song says so boldly "It would be crazy to choose this world over eternity!" What are you crazy for today?............If it is not eternity then I challenge you to look again. You can call me crazy, but I choose to live a life marked by His will, not the world's.
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