I expected last week’s mission trip to Monterrey to provide a break from school, a chance to have some fun, and an opportunity to see God do some things in my students’ hearts. I didn’t, however, expect to be changed, especially in such a humbling way.

First, I was reminded of the joy that comes through pain. We worked hard down there … on one day alone we hauled over 3,500 buckets of concrete onto the second story of a new building in 100˚ heat. My injuries ranged from a ripped up hand to a nasty eye injury, and just keeping ahead of twenty four fourteen-year-olds (and a language I hadn’t spoken in years) only sharpened the sensations.

But through it all, I felt alive … gloriously breaking and growing and stretching and bleeding. That kind of joy has been hard to find lately, and I sincerely feel that I need to begin actively seeking out ways to sharpen both my body and my mind through “painful” experiences. The deep sleep, the momentum, the leathered skin … it’s just so good.

I was also reminded about how important it is for me to surround myself (and yoke myself) with those who love to serve, with everything they have. This is something I not only value deeply, but also expect to be doing for the rest of my life. And frankly, I think that it’s bad stewardship for me to be investing a lot in people who don’t have the same mindset or focus … it sucks the life out of me and distracts me from doing what I’ve been created to do!

You might say that my vision was replaced by His, both physically and spiritually. Now comes the challenge of walking it out!

Posted to webeldotnet on Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 at 12:47 am EST in Faith & My Life (comment feed). If you refer to this post on your blog, please trackback. Thanks!