September 8, 2016 I wrote a blog for my local student ministry, Tide 4 Christ, about our mission trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Last year, Louisiana was hit by terrible flooding that caused major devastation in a wide spread area. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed, businesses closed, and the people took to the streets to help one another. The group I was with was only able to stay for 3 days, and we may not have made a huge impact on the cleanup effort as a whole, but the people we met and the stories we heard will forever impact myself, along with many others who were in attendance those 3 days. Below is my original blog post submitted to the Tide 4 Christ blog page.
"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." — Romans 12:11
There is a lot of criticism of short-term mission trips. People believe that in order for great amounts of work to be done you need longer periods of time. While there is only so much we can do on shorter mission trips to make an impact, God doesn’t need weeks and weeks to make an everlasting impact on someone’s life.
God created the entire universe in just six days. Six days. The same God who did all of that in six days could certainly change hearts in the same amount of time or less.
While in Louisiana this past weekend, I saw houses and businesses be torn back down to studs, I watched families go through piles of ruin looking for anything they could salvage, and I watched the desire to serve, and the love for our amazing God grow for everyone who went.
Personally, this mission trip gave me a renewed sense of humility and fulfillment in my relationship with Christ. Going to help those people and seeing their faces when our teams showed up and hearing their stories made me realize how big of an impact I can make on people, even if it is just for a short time. It got me excited again about doing good and spreading Gods’ word.
The idea that more time means more impact is just not true. Sure, more time would have meant more families we could have helped, possibly done more in certain communities that had greater need, delivered food to even more people, but the impact that matters is Gods’, and I am positive that God doesn’t have a time required to reach someone’s heart.
I am so thankful to have been a part of this amazing group that never stops looking for someone to help. I’m so blessed to have found such an amazing church family with such kind hearts that want to serve the Lord.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. — Colossians 3:23-24
I wanted to re-post this, more for myself than for anyone else. I needed the reminder that on a daily basis I may not be able to change the world but I can use the talents and abilities I have and help the people that I am around. As the new school year is about to begin I hope if you are in need a church family the group at the Central Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa, and the Tide 4 Christ Student Ministry group, would be a good option. This group has I am beyond thankful that God led me to such a wonderful church home with such wonderful God loving people to surround myself with.