MID EAST MUSINGS:  TAKE FOUR

“Thank You!” Really? Why Me?

Okay, so I purchased the goods, packed the box and processed as a volunteer. But – not this box! This one is from Claire in Akron, Paul in Durham of Esther from Coral Gables.

I receive your gratitude on their behalf knowing that at this point I serve as the best representation of such that you will ever see. Taking that a step further- I stand here before you representing the Giver of all good gifts.

In fact, these gifts themselves are an offering of thanks to the One who has blessed us, healed us, provided for us and saved us. How do you adequately than k God for all that He has given? Taking what we have learned from Him, we give freely to others. We give to those can never give back to us. We give to those who could never tell us “thanks” or even know that it came from our hands.

You might say that “thank you” is welcomed here. It’s the core of our being, the thread of our culture, the language we speak. It’s the “attitude of gratitude” that permeates our being. Because of that, I can accept your thanks, add mine to it and defer the greater sum to the One who is most giving and most deserving. Under normal circumstances, it may not add up – but then again, these circumstances are far above normal.



MID EAST MUSINGS:  TAKE THREE

You would think it was a good thing, but…


When religion becomes culture, the task of separating from such becomes virtually impossible. The trappings of tradition offer considerably greater entanglement than we could have ever imagined.

I recently spent eight days immersed in a culture whose identity is deeply ingrained in a religious system that has existed for hundreds of years. It is a system serves a false god, promises a counterfeit hope and holds it’s constituents captive. Yet, in the middle of such, the places of worship remain virtually empty despite the constant presence of religion in everyday life.

To leave the practices of tradition would lead to familial extrication, perhaps even death. An outsider would consider it foolish to be trapped by society’s expectations. From an evangelical perspective, we wonder why the desire to follow Christ would be intentionally delayed due to cultural ramifications.

Yet, as we stand on the edge and gaze curiously across, a little self-evaluation seems prudent. How willing are we to lay aside the expectations of culture to get a greater grasp on the eternal? Affluence and prosperity beckon our time and attention. Even closer to home, believers can find themselves ensnared in the trapping of religion that have no foundation in Scripture. What is right tends to find its’ absolution in the expectations of others rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit.

It seems that the differences from the foreign culture are less obvious than previously thought. Perhaps it’s time to allow God to call us from the comfortable. At times like this we will find which homeland we really demands our allegiance…Strangers, Pilgrims and Aliens never did fit well…

MID EAST MUSINGS: TAKE TWO

There it was – the red pen in the dirt. It caught my eye as we were preparing to leave. It lay there as a reminder of the fleeting escape of feelings. The pen had been purchased, packed and processed in hopes of changing a life for Christ. Granted a pen by itself has no such power, but in the hands of God, it can rewrite an eternity.

An hour before, the pen brought a euphoric bliss as a small part of a bigger picture. Minutes ago, the pen was called into immediate action to collect names and foreign words in collaboration similar to yearbook day at the local school. But, as pens do…it quit writing. At that point, it became the first casualty of a box full of goodies that will all eventually go the way of disappearing ink.

As we unpack the boxes of our lives, one by one, the items given to us no longer hold much value. In the end, we stand holding an empty box. This box once held promise and a glimpse of hope. It is no doubt an extension of love direct from the Giver. Isn’t it great to know that it is that love that is eternal, lasting long beyond the life of the box itself.

Isn’t that why we live this life in the first place?

So, as I pack and prepare my box this year, I will no doubt be purchasing those things that fade away once again. Yet it is my prayer that each item will hold the hope of a Living Savior to someone who needs to meet Him. For the introduction to the eternal will bring joy long after the toothpaste is gone, the toy breaks or the pen runs out of ink.