Jessica: Live in the Moment

I have been a Christian ever since I could walk myself into a Sunday School classroom.  I was called to be a missionary when I was 15 and have known where God was sending me since I was 16.  I have a bachelor's degree in missions and have been involved in so much volunteer work I can't even keep track anymore.  And yet I am still learning the most basic lessons on how to be Christ to other people.

The lesson I have been learning lately is this: live in the moment.  Show God's love to the people He puts around you.  Sounds simple, right?  But think about it-I have been in love with the Dominican Republic for 5 years, and I can honestly say that not a day goes by when I don't think about the country and the people I love there.  How can I live in the moment when my mind and my heart are so far away? 

And we get so busy.  How can I show God's love when I have so much work to do, errands to run, people to please?  I have always loved serving others, but I so often forget about the people standing right in front of me.  Instead I go to another country, or travel to a homeless shelter a half hour away to be Christ's hands.  I'm not saying those are bad things to do, and I would encourage everyone to go on a mission trip and become involved in their community.  But we can't forget about the people that God puts in our lives day in and day out. 

I am just now learning the joy of intentionally investing in the people that I see every day.  Don't get me wrong, I will cherish the time I spent at Asbury forever, but I think during my time in a small Christian school I forgot how beautiful it is to live in community with people who are different from you, people who don't know God personally and who need an encouraging light in their life. 

I have been working at an orchard this summer, and this has given me the opportunity to be around many people who have different views than I do, even people who come from very different cultures.  I used to just think of it as a job; now I realize that God called me to the orchard just as much as He called me to the Dominican.  And as soon as I realized that, my relationships with people changed.  God gave me a deep and powerful love for the people I interact with, and now I pray almost daily that I can be an encouragement to someone and point them to God through my work.

During this time at home I have developed relationships with people who don't know God.  They frequently comment on my character and integrity.  I wish they could see that everything good in me that they so admire comes from God.  I wish they knew that every carefree smile I give and encouraging word I offer comes from nothing less than my relationship with Christ and the encouragement that He has given me.  And I wish more than anything that I had the words to explain this to them.  I hope and pray that in the coming months they will come to know the truth.

And I pray for you as well, that you will embrace the people around you and show them the same love that God has shown you.