Thoughts

I wasn't going to blog tonight, but something is on my mind.  Today, some of us went to eat at a restaurant down in the resort area of the island.  I had gone grocery shopping beforehand so I just went straight there from the store, and while I was waiting on everyone else to show up I just looked around and took some things in.  They are things I have thought about before, but sometimes it just hits me harder.

How can people come to this island and pay who knows how much to stay in a resort, and go to the nicest restaurants and do all the most expensive things, and ignore the poverty that is within a mile?  I'm not necessarily saying people shouldn't treat themselves to nice things sometimes, but really, most people on this island live in tiny bamboo homes and some are hopeful for one good meal a day.  I am thankful for the tourism because it provides jobs for the locals, but are the tourists even thinking of that?  Or are they here solely for their own pleasure?  Do they play with the kids, or at least donate money?  Or do they just roast on the beach all day and wonder which souvenirs to buy?  Again, I'm not against enjoying the beauty God provides here or the benefits of a hard-earned salary, but I just hope that people aren't blind to the reality around them.

There was a bar next to the outdoor seating where I was waiting.  As some men were drinking and smoking, a woman walked by the bar in her bikini to head into the resort.  The men wanted a picture with her, and she was happy to comply.  Personally, my heart just tends to break for these people.  I hate seeing people searching for fulfillment in worldly things.  I know I judge people more than I probably care to think about, but sometimes God provides me with a snippet of His perspective on things, to see people how He sees them.  I see lost and broken people and it just makes me sad.  I so badly want them to know Jesus and His love, and know that He can heal every hurt and fix every insecurity.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of the lost son.  A man had two sons, and the younger son asked his father for his inheritance early, left home, and spent all of his money in wild living.  He finally realized how foolish he had been and decided to return home, expecting only to be like a hired servant.  His father saw him when he was still a ways away, and to the son's surprise, welcomed him with a feast and the finest clothing.  When the other son found out, he was jealous because he had always obeyed his father.  The father replied, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

I enjoy the fellowship I have with other Christians.  I am thankful that we can uplift each other and support one another.  It was a blessing in my life that I grew up in a Christian household and became a Christian myself at a young age.

I also long to see people come to Christ.  I want to see people transform and I want to rejoice with them and learn and grow with them.  I can think of nothing else that would give me greater excitement than for the lost to be found!  Jesus tells us to go and make disciples (Matthew 18:19).  It's a command.  He doesn't say to sit and wait for them to come; He says to go.  Here I am in the Philippines on a mission trip, and that command still seems like a daunting task.  I'm not extremely outgoing, and I'm not the best at starting those conversations.  It's not always easy, and it's not always comfortable, but I think that when it impacts where a person spends eternity, it's worth it.