It’s All In Perspective

It’s been a week now since I have been home from my journey to Honduras. For anyone who has been on a mission trip, I’m sure we have all experienced a perspective change after arriving back to our familiarity. This week, I find myself thinking more deeply, being more peaceful, and instead of thinking of what I don’t have, I thank God for what I do. I look around at the roof over our heads, the bountiful supply of food in our fridge, and the oversized bed with warm blankets in our room, with new eyes of gratitude. Before I left, I would think of the house renovations still to be done, and feel a sense of unsettlement, but now I truly don’t care when the basement gets finished, I’m just thankful I have one. I’ve had moments where I want to pack up my family and just go back to the people of Honduras- missing their kindness, openness, and their “all in” for Jesus outlook. Through all the thoughts, I hold on tight to what God has taught me and the stories that will forever be engrained in my mind. 

On a Tuesday evening, rain was pouring down, creating mini rivers in the dirt roads. We pulled the truck up to what looked like pieces of metal attached to scrap wood. A precious girl met me at the truck with an umbrella, willing to walk me to the church without getting wet. My steps were met with smiling faces sitting in plastic patio chairs lined from wall to wall. We were all squished like sardines in the tiny sanctuary. The walls were of different color metal, the floors were dirt. I heard a guitar playing in the distance, my ears followed it through the narrow doorway to the backroom. There, a teenage boy sat with a guitar in his hands on a dirty, old mattresses soaked with the rain drops falling from the crack in the roof. The boy played his guitar with such joy and zeal, you could feel the excitement in his fingers. “This is his room and his mattress where he sleeps,” they told me. “Wait, this is their home????” No pillows, no blankets, dirt floors, a missing wall, and a wet soggy mattress holding up a sweet 16-year-old boy rejoicing to God with gladness? It took me a moment to comprehend that this place was a home. I looked around and saw people smiling and hugging. This metal siding and dirt floors was a home that had love, a home that had joy, and people that were okay opening what they had to celebrate Jesus, to praise His name, and to fellowship with other believers. It brought me back to when I thought our first home was too small to host a small group. How I would create my own barriers in place of a willingness to do whatever it takes, to be all in.

As the church service began, every voice in that little sanctuary was singing praises to God! From the children to the elderly, not a voice was silent. “Who wants to lead us in worship,” the Pastor said. Children came to the front, leading the adults in singing and clapping. A woman came forward with a handwritten song on a little piece of paper singing in a Holy confidence to her Jesus, with such unhindered praise and adoration. After the service, we started going around praying for the people. I prayed for a woman that was in an abusive relationship standing at 7 months pregnant and tears rolling down her face. I prayed for a young girl who lost her mama and didn’t have safe living conditions. Between our team that was praying and myself, we all heard moving and sad stories from the people in that sweet little church. Driving back to our hotel, I thought, these people have nothing, and life is so difficult, yet they held nothing back in praise and worship, they love Jesus, they trust Him, and they gave Him all they had.

On that rainy Tuesday night, I saw a new level of laying it all down and praising God through the difficult. I think, if the people who have nothing truly know that He is everything, then maybe it is time for us who have everything, lay it down to a God who IS everything. It is easy to overcomplicate worship and our commitment to Christ, but I have been reminded once again what it truly looks like to be all in for Jesus. To trust Him fully and understand that He is worthy of our unhindered, abandoned praise, regardless of our situations that surround us. Let us come boldly to our sanctuaries, to our living rooms, to our children’s bedrooms, to the streets, and cities, lifting the name of Jesus. The One who gave us our breath is worthy of our song. It’s all in perspective, and our understanding of who God is should be responded with a fully surrendered yes and amen!