Belize

So on August 9th at 8:30 pm I arrived back in Colorado from my second of two mission trips to Belize. Wow. Once again my mind was completely blown by everything that happened in the nine days.

We did numerous things throughout the week to help the people of San Ignacio, Belize. My team held Vacation Bible School. We scrubbed mold off two sets of concrete bleachers and repainted them. We went to a nursing home, and prayed over a hospital, held church services, and so much more.

During one of the church services, I was flipping through our song book and read the most amazing thing: "Sympathy is no substitute for action." Again, wow. I wrote the quote first on my hand, then in my bible, on a piece of paper, any place i could think of so that I would not forget what I had just read. I soaked up the quote and tried to apply it to every action and word of mine throughout the week.

I think sympathy versus action is an idea we all need to contemplate. 1 Peter 3:8 says, "FInally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." I'm not saying sympathy is a bad thing, because that right their proves that it is something we must own up to.

James 2:15-16 says, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but dfoes nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" That right there is what proves that action is needed.

In Belize, there were many times when action instead of sympathy is needed. If we saw a street vendor selling something late at night just so they could pay for their child's education, we couldn't just walk away or try to bargain down the price of whatever item was being sold. We wanted to help. It was the same if we saw a child crying at vacation bible school; we couldn't just walk away and feel bad.

To truly help someone, you can't just say 'you'll be okay,' you have to help them to be okay.

Encouragement

Just a thought on encouragement. We ALL need it.

Encouragement is seldom more than a word. Yet a word alone may not inspire more than a moment of happiness. More than a moment of happiness is spurred by a word and an action. But an action by itself does not fufill the need of encouragement in our lives. Our lives require constant encouragement to keep us going; no matter what we think. What we think and what we do inspires for encouragement in others. And others depend on us for encouraging words; and we depend on others for then as well.

Accept encouragement. Give encouragement.

We are not alone - Written by Cathryn

CS Lewis once said, “We read to know we are not alone.” When I first heard these words, I thought about them only in the context of reading books. I was thoroughly impressed by the deepness of what it meant and by how true it was.

I, myself, am a huge reader; I find so much pleasure in reading a good book, whether it be an old love story by Jane Austen, a story about the hardships of life by one of the Brontë sisters, or a wonderfully written good versus evil story by JK Rowling. Every story I have read I have been able to relate to: I fell in love with Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, I fought evil, and won, with those whom had stood behind me long before I even know who I was in Harry Potter, and I felt the pain of loss in Jane Eyre.

Books don’t just tell any old story, they tell the story that ends up being what I have experienced in my life.

As I thought more about CS Lewis’s wise words, I understood that not only did “read” refer to reading books, but it was completely relevant to what the bible has to offer. Every single word of the bible offers wisdom and guidance for all times of life, including when we feel alone. I have found, at the times when I am at my loneliest, that what I need more than anything else is guidance or someone to tell me that I will be okay eventually. The precious word of God provides me with that security. I read the bible to know that I am not the only person who has ever experienced the things I face on a daily basis.

Romans 14:7 says, “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.” That right there is proof enough that CS Lewis’s words are true; I read to know I am not alone, and the bible tells me straight out that I am not alone.