Mexico: What I Learned

Psalm 100-

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all your lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into his courts with praise

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name

For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations

  The thing that hit me the most while down in Mexico was how happy the kids were.  In order to understand what they did, let me paint the canvas for you.  Imagine living in one building for almost your entire life, day by day, with the same people, never able to leave.  You have no family who wants to come visit you (some of them do, though), and you have some physical disability.  You are stuck in either a wheelchair, or helping someone who is in a wheelchair or who can’t walk or talk on their own.  You have other people doing everything for you- brushing your teeth, (sometimes) feeding you, changing your diaper, getting your clothes, getting you out of bed, getting you into bed- while you are in one room coloring the same coloring books, playing with the same people, and watching the same movies all the time.

  Now, that sounds pretty boring right?  It’d get very boring, you’d probably complain.  You probably would not be very happy- I’m sure it is hard to be joyful in those circumstances.  But now, let me paint the canvas from the kid’s perspectives.  They see themselves living in a very fun area with a playground, a tire swing, and trampoline.  Everyday, they get to wake up to play with wonderful people, and they know for a fact, they’ll get to be with them the next day.  They see themselves surrounded by their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, and they have all the family they need.  

  They get to play like little children, and have the most fun time simply drawing and talking to their family in Christ, while others have to go and do the hard jobs for them :) - of course, they’re grateful.  They know that someday they’ll be in Heaven with their entire family, able to walk, and talk, and be with the Lord Jesus.  And for now, they’re praising God here on Earth, for the future they’ll get to spend with Him.

  These kids have everything against them- their family, their lifestyle, the limit of their abilities- and you would not believe how happy they are.  Magali is laughing simply from playing on the tire swing, Karina is smiling from only talking to others, and Ema has joy written across her face the entire time.  And so many more examples, that I simply do not have enough room to write about.  So, what I learned in Mexico is this:

  It doesn’t not matter your circumstances, or your abilities, or what people might think about you, or anything.  Because God will always be there, and at anytime you can go to Him and praise Him for His mighty works.  And you can do this with the assurance that everything will be okay, and if not here on Earth, then in eternity in Heaven, where we will be with our Creator.  So take joy in the suffering, because you have the gift of eternal life.

 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.  John 15:11

(This is the crew that went down- minus Tommy)