More Than Paint
I
spent last week with a group of six people in Leon, Nicaragua. One of our main objectives for being there was
to help prepare our school, Promise International Academy, for their upcoming
school year, which begins in February.
That meant painting and then cleaning as many classrooms and other parts
of the school building as we could. By
the end of the week, with some of the teachers working alongside of us, we got
five classrooms and two outdoors areas painted.
I’d say it was a pretty productive week.
I
know for some, going to Nicaragua and spending much of our time painting and
cleaning can seem a bit laborious, non-glamorous, and even mundane. Most teams want to come back with stories of
being with kids, traveling down dirt roads, or adventuring to the far corners
of the nation. Well, we did spend a day
with our children from Promise Kids Foundation in some of the outlying
communities—traveling some pretty awful roads.
And, we did minister in a couple of churches. But, much of our time was
spent painting and cleaning, doing that which does not necessarily create the
stories people want to bring back home.
Yet in one of our morning devotions early in the week, I reminded our
team that what we were doing was more than just applying paint to a wall.
With
each stroke of the brush or the roller, with each push of a broom or mop, we were
giving ourselves to the people we came to serve. The blessings that God had
placed into our lives—the time, talents, resources, strength he had given to
us—we were now sharing with them. Not only that, but we were making an
investment in the future of the children who would come to a school wherein
they would receive both a quality education and a Christian foundation. And, when it came to the children of Promise
Kids Foundation, children who live in some pretty desperate situations, we were
doing more than merely providing a new backpack or a gift or a song. We were
providing comfort and hope for the future—the very same comfort and hope Christ
has given to us. Our goal through all we
did, whether at the school or in the rural communities we visited, was and is
to see many of these children and their families experience the great and
eternal love of God and turn to him through faith in our Lord Jesus.
2
Corinthians 9:12 says, “This service that
you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also
overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” (NIV)
My
prayer is that each coat of paint applied, floor mopped, song sung, sermon
preached, and backpack distributed, would result in a great outpouring of
thanks to God! More than that, may our lives each and everyday
cause others to overflow with thanks to God.
Have
a great day as you share yourself with the people around you!
Pastor
Tim Harris
Comments
Post a Comment