I haven’t written about or talked to many about the mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Not because I have nothing to say or it wasn’t impactful, but because it almost feels too sacred to reveal en masse. The people too precious to speak of without a great deal of honor and worth. The time I spent there forever changed me and how I see My Mission, The mission God has for me specifically.

Romans is one of my favorite books in the Bible because it talks about the redemption of creation and Jesus’ saving grace and mercy over all of us; Jews and Gentiles. A few years back, I realized why I watch home improvement shows or shows about people working on their relationships or finally getting thier health back on track; it’s because I love a story about redemption. I become motivated by watching something or someone go from tragedy to hope. From heartbreaking to peace and love. From destroyed or decaying to clean, healed, and free of waste. Jesus’ blood on the cross did this for us, His sacrifice made us clean. His sacrifice brought us into a space of peace and love. His sacrifice gave us a hope for the future.

Romans 1 goes through how creation was intended and how we as human mess it up over and over again, but that God is willing to help us clean it up time and time again. When we were in the DR, it was glaringly easy to see how much excess I had at home and how little they had there. Not only in the sense of their homes and possessions, but in all senses of basic necessities like clean water, somewhere to use the restroom, shower, or rest their heads. Many lived with broken families, fear of deportation, and a very real and repetitive belief that they weren’t worth anything.

Back home, my husband and I were going through a season of needing to find a new home quickly as our lease was up finding a home was a lot harder than we had imagined it would be. So naturally, I felt awful that the timing of this mission trip left this situation on his shoulders alone to figure out. But as my feet hit the dirt in the alleyways of the DR, I was released of the need to get everything I wanted in a home. I was released of the need to check in with my very capable husband on the house hunting progress.

The people we were meeting changed my perspective on everything. The alleyways I was walking in changed my desires. The troubles I thought I was dealing with dimmed. I remember checking in with my husband and just said, “Get whatever, it doesn’t matter. We just need somewhere to live.” I really didn’t care. It seemed so futile at this point. It seemed prideful and sinful to care so much about the finishes of a home and that they weren’t “up to my standards.” The Holy Spirit was revealing covetousness and ego in my heart and I was happy and eager to let it go.

In all honesty, it’s easy to fall into the enemies trap of believing we need to have what we want to have and that it’s ok to want like everyone else.

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen. - Romans 1:25

I know I am taking this verse a bit out of context to what Paul was referring to, but it brought up these memories for me and the Spirit spoke to my heart through it. There are many verses that speak about worshipping created things, idols, rather than God, we can dig through those later (but I linked there a few for you to read). In my morning reading, this verse spoke loudly. It would seem shocking to admit that I have worshipped idols, I’d venture to guess you have as well, but I have.

I have traded God’s peace, for dissension; thinking I needed to stand up for something because God couldn’t very well fix it without my help.

I have traded God’s will, for my own; creating a house full of things to bring me pride, rather than using love to build a home that welcomes.

I have traded God’s forgiveness, for bitterness; because it was too hard to forgive them or myself.

I have traded stewardship of God’s provisions, to selfish desires that have nothing to do with building God’s Kingdom.

Seeing so many live with so much less didn’t bring shame on my life for being able to have comforts, but it did change my perspective on how I use my privilege of location and entitlement of the culture I live in.

The lie: I can’t just give away all my money or things.

The truth: Philippians 4:19 > “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

The lie: If I live differently than other’s, I’ll be an outcast.

The truth: Romans 12:2a > “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The lie: People need to see and validate your worth, feelings, emotions, and experiences.

The truth: 2 Cor 4:16-18 > “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

When we focus on what we want, what we desire, what we need, we lose sight of what God has in store for us. We trade His capital-T Truth for idols and lies. This is quite possibly the easiest trap for the enemy to set in our American culture, the need to “keep up with the Jones’”, or to put our desires above His Word and His design or to shout our trauma from the rooftop so we can feel validated in our anger and resentment. This is not what He wanted for us.

We cannot live out of want or desire.

We cannot live out of resentment or bitterness or trauma.

We cannot live out of pride and ego.

We can use those things to learn and grow from but we should not function out of those emotions. The people in the DR taught me to see people’s souls through their eyes. And wow, there was so much to see!!! Their trust in God alone to provide for their needs, their safety, their health, their nutrition, taught me that maybe I am not trusting God as much as I thought I was. They taught me that I can, and should, live with a lot less. They taught me that God is deep within all of us if we just slow down and pay attention.

The enemy wants us to exchange a slower pace with hurry, so we don’t have time to see the value in each other and place all the attention on ourselves and what we need. The enemy would love nothing more than for me to isolate and not invite, so that the attention stays on me. But, I am not the point, Jesus is.

Therefore we (I) must call out the lies, go out and spread the word by seeing into the eyes of the people around me. People are fascinating and are intricate works of the Creator. Pause and see them, search for God through their eyes. Be interruptible, allow your day to be derailed so you can sit with someone longer and linger in a conversation. Your heart will feel full if you do and you both will be blessed.

Exchanging the Truth for a Lie

They must have seemed nuts.

Generational Redemption