The best cure for worry is to let yourself be inspired by something so spectacular, your worry seems infantile in comparison. Whenever I find myself feeling gloomy or thinking about something I let trouble me, I look out the window of our manual van as it struggles to make it up the hills of the street. If there is one thing about El Salvador that never fails to amaze me, it's that the landscape is irrevocably and immeasureably beautiful. It is so green. Houses are splattered across the hills literally one on top of the other. Even the newer looking houses show signs of wear and age, but it only adds to their character. The people here walk along the road and you can tell by their faces that they've seen things, been places, and experienced a thousand moments that have forever changed them. There is one elderly lady in particular that screams at my heart. She sits in her fold-up chair beneath an overpass everyday covered in blankets. There is almost always someone crouched down in front of her, talking to her, offering her food, or offering some sort of assistance. This woman more than likely lived through El Salvador's civil war. She has more than likely lived through a number of natural disasters that plague this country year after year. She has lived through just as many rainy seasons as she has dry seasons, and yet she still manages to muster through to every new day. I have been blessed to have never had to go without. I'm not talking just food, but shelter, clean water, or even just a lack of love is something that has never been prevelent in my life. I could go to downtown Atlanta any day of the week and spot a homeless person on the side of the road, but the homeless of Atlanta are living easy compared to what goes on here. I see children starving on the street everyday on my way to school, and I think why? Why is an innocent child allowed to go hungry day after day? It's so hard to let them pass me by, but it has taught me that there is nothing more powerful I can give them than a prayer to God to touch their lives. Seeing the devestation and hunger in the eyes of the people here have brought me closer to God and I am so thankful for everything I have been blessed with. The best thing about El Salvador is that despite their hunger and neediness, the people of this country have such strength. Their happy disposition never fails to shine through to the very tips of their toes.
Discipleship today with Pastor Mario was eye opening on a whole new level. We discussed Luke 9:23. Basically he showed us that we have to sacrifice ourselves everyday to honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us, so that we may save the lost in this world. What is an earthly need compared to the eternal life of another human? I sat and thought about whether or not I was willing to deny myself in order to glorify God. Absolutely, right? I could walk up to a stranger and talk about the work that God is doing in my life no problem. The sad thing is, what if I knew that stranger? What if it was someone I know intimately? Would I be willing to put "decency" to the side in order to ensure my closest friends and family are with me in Heaven someday? The answer should be a resounding YES, but it's a frightening prospect to risk a friendship in order to put the word of God into action. So my question is this: are we really letting Jesus shine through us in every aspect of our lives, or are we decompartmentalizing where His influence can touch? I want to walk down the street, or a hallway in the school, or even when I go home to Chick-Fil-A, and have people see there's something different about me. My heart and mind will forever be changed by my relationship with God, but what does that mean if I'm the only one who knows of it's significance?
Today is Kirby's ninteenth birthday! We're having a party for her and Katelyn (her birthday is Saturday) tonight and I for one am thankful for these days because they represent the beginning of their lives. We all have to begin somewhere.
All for His Glory,
Taylor
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