Daily Devotionals

Sharing the Joy 

Posted in Serving/Missions

Serving With Faithfulness

 

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.”  (Proverbs 3:3) 

 

Our family of four, along with many youth, recently went on a mission to Costa Rica and stayed at Costa Rica Mission Projects (CRMP).  Wil, the director, mentioned the “Body of Christ” during our trip.  There are many meanings for this term, but it wasn’t until I heard him speak about this that I truly accepted and saw first-hand that we are all one as Christian brothers and sisters. Let’s face it:  Getting out of our comfort zones can be hard, but wow, how sweet it is to serve others as a big family and as brothers and sisters in Christ!  I mentioned serving, but I find that mission trips are honestly more about receiving and being served as well as rewarding by experiencing another’s culture. 

 

It was a man named Hugo who showed love by rehydrating us with fresh coconut water or feeding us pineapple during breaks after a day of work on a parsonage.  At a prayer service, the true compassion of Christ was witnessed as many from our “body” kneeled before Christ to show true joy in a way we were not accustomed to.  Y’all, Jesus was with us!  

 

We were asked prior to the trip to leave phones behind– easy for adults but not so much for high schoolers. (I take that back.  It only appeared easier for them than me.) There was reward in this too.  In my opinion, social media causes social dysfunction. So what a blessing it was to have meaningful conversations with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.  What a blessing to not be robbed by the media of opportunities like viewing beautiful sunsets in the sugar cane field every evening or just putting a puzzle together as a family.

 

As my family served with others in Costa Rica, we realized what a blessing it was for us as much as it was for the ones we helped.    

 

Dear Lord, thank you for the opportunity to worship with family in Costa Rica and learn new things. We thank you that we were able to foster new relationships and be shown hospitality in Costa Rica.  Let us return the favor and be hospitable in day-to-day activities around here.  Amen.

 

Submitted by Scot Seigler