Something in me has always wanted to travel. When I was a girl, I traveled through books. Reading carried me to so many places and allowed me to imagine life as another person. I could be a princess in a faraway country or a smart, young woman trying to find her place in colonial New England. Or I could be a heroine willing to sacrifice something precious to me for the sake of my beloved family. The imagery and dialogue carried me to fantastic places and set me among exciting people. Immersed in the imagination I never realized that my passion for reading satisfied an inner longing to actually go places. The imaginary journeys that books took me on were satisfying because I didn’t believe that I could actually go. When I finally got to travel to London in my senior year of college, armchair adventure through books became less fulfilling. I wanted to go everywhere and see everything. One of my first jobs as a young woman was in a travel agency, not because I wanted to help other people travel, but because I wanted to go!
Finally, my YES adventure took me on a mission trip to Burkina Faso, West Africa. Never heard of it? Neither had I. Yet, when the opportunity came, my longing to go anywhere was so strong that it didn’t matter where. By this time, my desire to go had changed. I no longer just wanted to go. I wanted to go with purpose. I had been praying for a mission trip and here it was!
Our team of Americans met for a period of weeks to prepare for the task at hand and the people we would meet. We learned about the country and the culture. We learned a few words to help us communicate the love of Christ as we handed out shoeboxes full of small gifts to children. The mission was guided by a message: These children were precious to God and people wanted them to know it by sending them gifts. What an awesome reason to travel!
Honestly, Africa, any African nation, had never been on my radar. When I imagined places to experience I never pictured Africa. The books that I had lost myself in didn’t take me there. Yet, that is where God sent me first. Why? I cant say for sure, but one thing I can say, my trip to an unknown nation, to an unknown people, to beautiful brown-skinned children, expanded my world and broadened my understanding of how deeply God loves ALL people. The smiles on the faces of those children as they realized that the boxes weren’t empty illuminated the landscape brighter than the hot African sun. Their parents’ joy and excitement was almost as brilliant. That joy that bubbled up in the villages we visited with these gifts didn’t originate within the people themselves. It was given them as a gift from their Creator. We weren’t merely handing them things. Our presence brought with us a greater Presence. The love we demonstrated didn’t come from us. We came because we had been loved and valued by the King of the Universe and wanted them to know that they also were loved and valued by Him. No words could fully communicate that. Our willingness to come to them spoke. Our desire to give them gifts spoke. The words preached to the children and their families by members of their own nation in advance of receiving the gifts gave them a framework to begin to understand what we wanted our actions to say.
That first mission trip spoiled my desire to travel. Don’t get me wrong! That desire is just as strong as ever.. Since that first mission trip I have had the opportunity to travel for travel’s sake and to travel for Christ’s sake. There is no comparison. Traveling to experience culture and creation has value, for sure. But it doesn’t fully satisfy me anymore. I am most satisfied when I can give away what I have been given: The love of My Father.
As a dearly loved and highly valued child of God my desire is to follow His example of love. Because He has so dearly loved me, I want to love others. I give what He gives me. Because He values me I can value others. Being valued by God enables me and inspires me to value others.
Yes, my desire to travel hasn’t diminished, but now I know that I dont want to travel just for the sake of seeing the world. When I go places, I want to travel with purpose. I want to give what I have been given. I want others to know just how precious they are to God.
I’m ready to pack my suitcase again. Want to come?
Key Thought: I can love others because I’ve experienced God’s love for me.
A Scripture to consider: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children” Ephesians 5:1 NIV
A YES challenge: Ask God to help you begin to understand and experience just how deeply He loves you. As you allow that to become real to you, ask Him to show you how He wants you to share that love with others.
Prayer: Father, I dont know if I have ever fully accepted that I am precious to You. That I am highly valued and loved by You. It is too wonderful for me to fully grasp, but I ask You to help me begin to get ahold of it. I want my life to overflow with Your love. As I receive Your love for me, let it spill over to others. Amen.