I
have learned so much about fellowship and encouragement this week. Eighteen
boys were selected to travel to Minnesota to play in the Schwans USA Cup
International Youth Soccer Tournament in Blaine. They played in the USA Cup
Weekend Tournament this weekend. So far they are UNDEFEATED!!!!!! It is no
wonder! What a wonderful chance for these boys and their coaches to show their
dedication, integrity, and sense of unity.
When
our team traveled to Haiti almost a month ago (I still can't believe we've been
back so long) and learned that this team was going to be in Minnesota, we all
freaked out and made it a priority to see them for the tournament. We have been
successful! It's been AWESOME to reunite with the team and support the Haitians
through Haitian Initiative, a program using soccer as a catalyst for education
and opportunities for Haitian kids. We have all been curious to meet the team
and find out what they think of America! After all, I'm sure they have never
been more stunned in their lives; however, they will leave America at the end
of the month with a much different sense of us than we had when we left Haiti.
They taught us so much! I wonder what lessons they will say America taught
them. It
feels soooo good to be reunited with the team and to support something that
connects each of us. How amazing that Haiti found a way to come to us here!!!!
I just can't get over that.
The
earliest churches devoted themselves to teaching and to prayer. Apart from
teachings of the Holy Spirit, these were the two most important means of growth
and power in a Christian's life. Fellowship was an absolute PRIORITY.
Fellowship as far as the Bible goes means that Christians have "fellowship"
with other Christians. They all share God in common. So fellowship may be seen
more as a relationship with Jesus more than an activity. Because of a
relationship with Jesus, fellowship opens itself to even more--sharing, prayer,
enabling grace. We are responsible to share with God in the work He is doing on
earth NOW so we can share what lies ahead in eternity. How awful would it be to
spend eternity alone?
Our
team members were all strangers before this trip. Not all were believers in
God, either; YET God was working throughout each of us. We trusted. We had
faith. “Acting faithfully” means those who share in common the life and
testimony of Christ. But it's not exclusive. Because we share a common
relationship through Christ, we then share a common objective. Without God
being the center of fellowship, fellowship would just be a bunch of people
meeting together for social reasons; for dependence upon man.
I also realized this weekend how much we can learn from other people...and
sometimes those are people we don't even know. I learned too many lessons to
name from my time spent in Haiti and I was able to bring those lessons back.
Those who are the thirstiest for knowledge will seek it no matter the
circumstances. As C.S. Lewis says, "If we let ourselves, we shall always
be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down
to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so
badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable
conditions never come." Amen. We are called to question and search for the
things we DON'T know; not the things we DO know.
Accepting others is a way to praise and worship. There is no music or
adoration...none of the "activities" we associate with worship. It's
just accepting others. God wants nothing more than to see us welcoming
each other and devoting each other to love and encouragement. By meeting this
weekend our team was encouraged and the Haitian boys were encouraged; the teams
were encouraged, the host families were encouraged. If we encourage others to
serve and love and support, we develop skills of leadership. Our presence at
the tournament despite the fact we haven't met these specific boys was still a
sign of encouragement and hope.
It's easy to think that because we live in America we live in a world where no one
encourages each other; we live in a world where every person is only out for
him or herself and what he or she needs. But how many of us are selfish enough
to believe that and live that way? No, no. This is a world that desperately
needs diversity. This world needs to learn lessons. We learn them from God and
we learn them from others. We share them. We teach. We accept. If we learn to
be completely rooted in CHRIST. Instead of self-esteem, we develop CHRIST-ESTEEM.
We don't have to validate ourselves by mere characteristics that place us in
"classes." We love God because He loves us. Therefore, we are united.
In Haiti I prayed to see my sins the way God does. "Give me Your eyes for
just one second, give me Your eyes so I can see...everything that I've been
missing, give me Your love for humanity." These lyrics by Brandon Heath
describe what I prayed for. I learned lessons from people I'd never met in the
most unlikely ways. I wound never ask for anything different. Instead of fear
and judgment, God urged me to have compassion and to love and to examine how
God created differences in identity.
I
am so happy this weekend. My heart is light and I feel that I've stumbled back
into a Haitian bubble that I hope never pops.
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