Day 5

A visual picture of the week!

This week was all about loving kids.  The whole point of coming to Haiti was to build relationships with kids at the school and the orphanage and at home.  The awesome part about this is we themed this week "We are valuable in God's Eyes."  We have worked with kids who have been abandoned, live in some of the worst situations imaginable and we had a chance to share with them how valuable they are to us and to our God.  This week was awesome.  I personally have never held so many hands, hugged so many kids especially while I was dripping with sweat.  The cool thing is this it wasn't about me it was all about doing what God called us to do in His name to make His name famous to these kids.  

 

We took all their pictures this week and recorded their names.  We printed them out with a little photo printer and then attached it to a piece of paper that stated "You are a valuable Child of God" followed by 1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! We also took the time to write each of their names on the papers because God knows their names.  We formed a tunnel and as each kid was called they walked down this tunnel getting high fives, hugs, cheered, and valued.  Today was a good day it wasn't about anything other than showing those kids that there are people who love them and in our own way attempting to show it.  We grilled hot dogs, served them and then spent time just loving on them.  As I look back I ask what did we accomplish?  I have no idea what the eternal value may be today but I know by the smiling faces of the children that now they know they are valuable in God's eyes and in ours.

On the way home we stopped by the church property where plans are on their way to building a school, church for now hopefully soon an orphanage home, basketball court, hosting home.  We took time to pray over it and speak with the pastor.  The coolest thing about this part is the vision that has been cast can only be accomplished because God will have to make it happen and no one else.  It was an awesome piece of land to stand over and picture what the future can hold to reach the people of Haiti for Jesus.

My Thoughts

Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  

We all are running a race right now.  It could be our own it could be the very one that God has called us to run.  My question, are you to busy looking at the race your running and not God?  The truth of the matter is it is not about your race it is about the God who gave you that race to run.  Keep running yes but keep focused on Jesus the author and perfecter of the race.  You see the race is not about a place, or a certain people it is about making God's name known and famous where ever you may be.  When you grasp that idea it isn't because of the place or the people it is because you have seen God and have meet Him face to face.  When you talk about what God has done it isn't about whether people understand what you have gone through it is about what you are doing to help them understand that they to can have an encounter with a Holy God that can change their lives just like you.  I heard a leadership guy talk about leaders who get to the top on their own and how wrong this is.  He asked a question.  Who are you pulling up behind you so you can reach the peak together?  So who are we pulling up with us so they can encounter God just like we have.  It shouldn't be about a place, a feeling, an idea, a vision, a purpose, it should be about loving God and staying focused on Him and Him alone.  Who or what are you focused on?