I am writing this the night before, yes, the night before I move to Austin to attend the University of Texas. I am so excited, but it really seems like the moment is never going to actually get here. I’ve had boxes stacked in my room for a week, and a few days ago I finally began to fill them with my junk…er, things. Once I got started, it’s like I couldn’t stop. I probably have too much to fit in my tiny dorm room, but we’ll see tomorrow. My roommate moved in today so she gets one relaxing night to herself before I bust in.
The past few weeks have been absolutely nuts. I went to Senegal, West Africa at the beginning of the month. Honestly, I think it was harder to come home to the states than it was to go there. I didn’t really have a problem adjusting to life there, but that’s probably because we were only on the ground there for seven days total. Coming back home was completely weird though. I should probably tell you a little about the trip and maybe that will paint a picture for you, at least so you won’t be completely lost with what I’m going to say at the end.
We landed in Dakar around 5am. A friend that is serving in Senegal picked us up and drove us to where we were staying. And let me tell you, it was an interesting drive – speed bumps on highways, huge holes dug in dark spots in the road, people walking down the middle of the highway (in the dark), buses/taxis stopping without warning to pick up passengers, and lines that are just suggestions of where to drive. We finally made it to our home for the week after stopping for breakfast – donuts (yes they have donuts in Africa), pan au chocolat (basically bread with chocolate on it), and some kind of juice. I even tried powdered milk…not so great. After breakfast the team I was on rested for a while back at our place. That afternoon though, we were in the villages greeting and introducing ourselves and hoping for an invitation back so we could share God’s word and truth. The rest of the week was absolutely indescribable. Being in a mostly Muslim country was such a change from the environment we have created in America, especially the “Bible Belt.” The people in Senegal are some of the nicest, most hospitable people in the entire world. They may be Muslim, but their culture is that of hospitality and graciousness. Completely different than America. Here, we are too “busy” to sit down to lunch with someone, let alone put off our work. We don’t even know what work is compared to the people in Senegal. Although they live in a more modern African nation, they still have to work the fields and cook all of their meals (there is no McDonalds near the villages). And even though they have so much work to do, they took time out, sometimes even whole days, to sit and visit with us. Would you be willing to do that for someone that just happened to walk into your town? As an American follower of Christ, are you taking time out to really let people get to know you and see what your life is with Christ a part of it? Are you really following Christ?
One day we got the chance to visit a village that has a number of believers in it and worship with them. I have to tell you, that was some of the most honest worship I have ever seen. They were excited to get to meet believers from across the ocean, and they were excited to worship the one and only God who sent His son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for their sins and ours. After listening to the people sing praises for a minute, I was able to identify the songs because of the melodies and was able to sing along in English. After a few songs though, I was really convicted about how little I had been trying to make God. I have underestimated Him so much it’s not even funny, but listening to a group of believers in a mainly Muslim African nation, believers of different races, genders, nationalities, and anything you could imagine, completely changed my view of God. He is huge. Even with our jumbled English and Wolof praises, He understood every word. Our God is not limited by anything, even if we as humans are. That just makes us rely completely on Him, as it should be.
After worshipping with the believers in that certain village and coming home, I was again convicted. We in America have it so easy. There is just about zero sacrifice for us to worship God, other than our time. In Senegal, those people risk losing their family, their social stature, everything if they believe that Jesus Christ is their savior and openly communicate that. That is why it is so exciting to see those believers worship in the open. Worship without inhibition. It was extremely hard for me to come back to a worship service in the states because it seems as though no one is excited to really worship and learn about God. We put on a show every Sunday and go to church because it is expected of us, because it is our routine. A friend of mine always says, “If your faith hasn’t changed you, it probably hasn’t saved you.” Has your faith changed you? When you sing songs with words like, “Hosanna,” or “Hallelujah,” do you really mean them or are they empty words that you sing because someone put them up on a screen for you to read?
I personally am not content with being part of a church that is willing to sit back and “worship” on Wednesdays and Sundays, but not think about God the rest of the week. I want to be a part of a church (and by church I mean, all believers, not just a group in a certain town) that is on fire for God. And by on fire I mean actively seeking His will, not theirs. People often say they don’t know what God’s will is, but Jesus tells us outright in the Word. He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the Age.” Matthew 28:19-20. God tells us what He wants us to do. Are you doing that? And it’s not even something we are doing – it’s God working through us. We as sinful humans cannot save anyone else, but God chooses to use us to reveal Himself to those other people. It says so in this verse. I know that in America, there are just as many people dying and going to hell as there are in Senegal, but being in Senegal really just shows a bigger picture. With statistics of over ninety percent of its inhabitants being Muslim, that means ninety percent of its inhabitants will die and go to hell because they have not accepted Christ as their savior. But how can they accept Christ if no one tells them about Him? Even if you never go to a foreign country specifically for a mission trip, there are people right here that God has been preparing to hear the Word from you. You just have to be obedient to His call and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that lives inside you if you are a follower of Christ. And don’t be afraid to go somewhere you’ve never been. If He calls you there, He will provide. Granted, God never guarantees us physical safety, but wouldn’t it be so much better to die doing His will and go to paradise knowing you did all you could, than to die living a mediocre American “Christian” life knowing you could have done and were called to do so much more?
Just some stuff to chew on that has been on my mind lately. I have to go finish packing up so I can move on to my new home and see what God has for me to do while I'm there!
In Christ,
Alicia
No comments:
Post a Comment