Guatemalans smile a lot. They arepolite, hospitable, friendly and patient with most attempts at Spanish.
Pastor Domingo bent down on eye level and greeted the old woman, whom we
learned was named Maria. As we began
hearing more about Maria’s story we discovered that she was the widowed
mother of eleven.
family’s income was almost completely resigned to the crocheting of
hacky-sacks (which were purchased by a man in town and taken across Lake
Atitlan to sell to tourists).
As I began to assess the severity of the situation, Maria looked us in
the eye without a care in the world and professed her belief that God
would provide – he always had.
I began to reflect on my own life. As a white, middle-class American
child, I grew up wanting for nothing. I never missed a meal (and enjoyed
many of them), I had clean clothes that fit, a family that loved me,
friends to play with and entertainment outlets virtually anytime I
wanted them. In short, I needed nothing. Fast forward twenty years and
see a similar life of a young, attractive college graduate embarking on a
career trek where the sky is the limit. An attractive girlfriend, new
car, prestigious social circle and the like are but scratching the
surface of all that life holds for a fortunate young man.
Yet, if I am honest my faith doesn’t hold a candle to Maria. I’ve never
been in need. I’ve never been desperate. There has never been a time in
my life when a safety net didn’t exist. On a deeper level – there’s also
never been a time I can say I’ve truly been in complete desperation of
the presence of God. Consider the statement: He who has everything needs
nothing. The simplicity and apparent redundancy of this statement
should not be discarded before pragmatic application is sought. The
easiest times, the most comfortable, rob us of desperation for the
presence of God. How often do we go about our lives, eating our meals,
driving our cars, swiping the credit card for anything that meets our
fancy only to have rushed, obligatory, mediocre times spent with our
Creator (assuming we remember to in the first place)? Yet, the absence
of basic needs, being in difficult relationships, or surviving in
environments that are spiritually oppressed are all times of suffering
that invoke within us a desperation for the presence of God.
How clear God’s voice in the storm. How close is His touch in the
battle. Discovering desperation in comfort is a battle few realize they
are fighting. Those extravagantly blessed often pity those in need. Yet,
the faith of those suffering, the faith I gain when forced to run to
the arms of my father, shames any substitute the world has to offer.
Trusting God is terrifying, but it’s more peaceful than any secure tower
I’ve constructed for myself. It’s not dependence that’s hard, it’s the
leap of faith to dependence that’s the challenge. The leap back is easy.
It’s living with the smiling reassurance that “God will provide” that
is difficult. If anything, I’ve learned this: I do not enjoy suffering,
but I like who I become when I am in the midst of it.
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The great thing about fear is that it allows us to clearly identify where we need to be wish is a place of trust and peace.
Far from being reckless faith is committing the results to God and the intentionality to our quivering souls.
I see faith more freely in my overseas brothers and sisters. Perhaps that is because they have had less time and tools to develop the sophisticated diversions of “fake faith” here in Western culture.
“I do not enjoy suffering, but I like who I become when I am in the midst of it. ”
Amen. This season is in full swing for me, but the most recent episode, which included my mother having her shunt fail and on top of having a stroke while in Florence, Italy, finally broke me of any agenda of self. I learned first hand that when we commit, I mean, hey, really let go, get your paws off commitment to God’s plan in the midst of difficult and seemingless senseless experiences, things will work out. The lamp unto my feet is sufficient for me to take the next step and that’s all I need to do and know.
Thanks Seth for this
I was just listening to AW Tozer- Audio book this morning. And exactly the same theme. Why do we have need when we are sons and daughters of the God who created it all. We are adopted into such great wealth, yet we go about with much fear creating safety nets for ourselves. I must say that the last 18 months has been a tremendous experience for us, a lot of faith required, but it was more like throwing ourselves blindly onto the mercy and Grace of our Jehovah Jireh. When we are tired and weak, it is easy to yearn after the comfortable life we had in GA. But God has so much more for us, I would be a fool to give that up.