Having fun with some kids in Tent City
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I like to see a tangible result from my work. A long term impact proves to me that my work is not vain. Although this desire to make an impact is not necessarily a bad thing to strive after, the fact that I feed off this and let it impact my attitude and subsequently my ministry efforts takes away from what should be my only desire: to serve God with everything that I have.
The truth is that at times I become caught up in the monotony and seemingly short sighted nature of my daily schedule. The result can leave me uninspired and dragging my feet. Although it has taken a few weeks for me to see, that focus of mine is serving no one but me and my own desires while adversely impacting the ministries that I take part in. It is this disillusionment that brings me back to earth and my priorities back into focus.
Since then, I have begun to see how much I love these kids at the children’s home, how much I wish they were my own (which is something I have never wished before.) The last six weeks have produced close relationships with many of them and now I anxiously look forward to spending my time there instead of wondering if there is a more valuable area (read a ministry with obvious long term implications) I can invest my time.
Two of my absolute favorite people, at the children's home
Even though I have begun to appreciate the routine and structure that is part of my life here, departures can still be appreciated. Such a departure took the form of a common sunset over Manila’s city center. What easily could have been overlooked, the sunset that night left me in awe of God and reminded me of His beauty and love. Pink, purple, red, orange, green and blue colored the massive clouds painted in the sky. Even though this event occurs every day, it was the first that I have truly marveled since our arrival. Just one of the ways God shows that He loves us on a daily basis. What that evening reminded me is that God can be seen on a daily basis (in the routine) if we are looking for Him, and I must search Him out.
And then, on Wednesday He showed up in an amazingly encouraging way. Wednesdays I have been teaching art and that day we were showing the kids how to create their own unique cartoon characters and story to go along with it (there were lots of super heroes and princesses.) Unwavering patience is essential for teaching the many first grade classes. This means that the activity can easily turn into a chore for us teachers as the energy and youth of the students becomes too much for us to control. But this day was memorable for a different reason. In one of those classes a girl who lives at the children’s home gave me her artwork as well as a note. Although I did not think much of it at the time, when I did read it later that afternoon it was such a Godsend. It was a thank you note of sorts for playing and praying with her and the other kids at the home, saying how much she appreciated me. The letter was quite sweet and ended saying: I love you so much. This impacted me tremendously. It was evidence of what I had not been able to see firsthand and a reminder of 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” This was the encouragement that I had been longing for, yet it came in a simple and heartfelt note that I was so grateful for. I love that our God gives us what we need because that is what I needed to snap me out of a funk. It is so cool to be uncovering new layers of mission work here despite the largely unchanging activities that occupy my schedule.
