Luke 18:22-24 (NLT)
When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
When Jesus saw this,[a] he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!
For the past seven years, I’ve slung wisecracks about how broke we teachers are.
A mission trip to Honduras in March changed all that.
As much as I relish the gift of words and writing, a limit exists to their power. Sometimes it takes a picture to get our attention. You know, the whole “a picture is worth a thousand words” thing. Even more powerful than the most poignant picture is the experience itself. And no amount of reading, picture-looking, or relative poverty here compared with much of what I witnessed there. I saw firsthand what Chan writes about when he quips, “Simply by purchasing this book, you spent what a majority of people in the world will make in a week’s time.” Although I didn’t purchase this book (but ripped it from the back table as a first time visitor to Refuge post facto), the statement registered.
The people in the village of La Preadera live on much less than the cost of this book. How humbling it was when they gave us food out of their need to feed us during our days there. Because of this situation and sacrifice, I was encouraged to make changes to my lavish lifestyle. Upon returning home, changes were made. I live on less. Give more. Ride my bike to work. Am grateful for any meal, not just blowing through the blessing. Am grateful for O’Bannon High School and its crumbling infrastructure.
I feel much like Zacchaeus from the Gospel. Like salvation over those trappings has come to my house.
Despite living in the Delta, may we all come to see ourselves as we truly are. Rich. Wealthy. Prosperous. And may we thank GOD for such things and pray that they are kept in their proper place. In our gratitude for these things, let us be willing to give them away or never lose sight of the One who bestows such things.
May our joy come from Jesus and not in the gifts he provides!
Author’s Note #1: In case I came off as holier-than-thou, here is an edited list of my dirty laundry for the week to let you know I’m still a work in progress: vanity, pride, ego (monstrous), idolatry, lust, the essence of evil (taking joy in the gifts of GOD rather than in Him alone)
Author’s Note #2: for more on this topic, read pages 88-90 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
