I can't sleep. It's 4:10am. I need to be up soon to catch our flight out of Cincinnati at 7:20am, but I've been laying awake for over an hour - so I thought I might as well get up and write!
Today we leave for Mexico City. We are going to minister to the homeless who live off the garbage in the dumps there. This is my second mission trip - but quite different from my first, in that last time we worked in orphanages and did lots of physical labor. This time is going to be more "relational" - from what I can tell - and we are going to be with the people, praying for them and helping them physically.
I am excited yet a bit apprehensive too. I have lots of friends who've been on this trip who are saying "don't drink the water" and giving all kinds of advice for staying healthy. I think I'm bringing every single anti-bacterial product ever manufactured to date. So I'm believing we're covered - as far as that goes.
But, even more than the physical preparations, I want to be sure we've made the necessary spiritual preparations. Are our hearts ready to love with Jesus' love? the hurting, the unlovable, the dirty, the ugly, the poor?
I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that was really amusing to me. "Jesus loves you - and I'm trying." Really sums it up, don't you think? In our our humanness that's all we can do - try.
Ha - but then I'm reminded of the Good News - we don't have to stay in our own human condition. When we accept Jesus, His HOLY SPIRIT comes and lives in us to TRANSFORM US into HIS OWN IMAGE. We have the same power IN US that raised Jesus from the dead - alive and well and living in us. AND, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we don't have to try. We can actually experience the divine, transcendent love of Christ flowing through us to others.
All we need to do is literally... get out of the way. Very cool.
And what's even better is that I LOVE how it feels when the Holy Spirit takes over like this. I am completely filled with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), I feel electrified - like an awesome tingling, surreal feeling, and it's no longer about me and what I am doing (making myself feel more worthy, more sacrificial, more spiritual, more important - or just plain better than the guy who's not out feeding the poor).
No, it truly becomes all about HIM. What He wants to do. How He feels. How He wants to love His people through me.
And, I never know what's going to happen next. The Spirit could tell me to spit in a blind eye for all I know. Very weird stuff. When I've been filled up with God like this and listening to His voice - He's asked me to do some strange things. Like once I had to blow on a woman I was praying for - and then she was healed. Very cool result - weird experience.
That's what I want for this trip. To be so filled up with the Spirit of God that He takes over and has His way. I want to hear His voice so loudly that I can walk in His ways. I want to see signs and wonders. I want to see people healed, delivered and set free. More than mercy, I want MIRACLES!
Acts of mercy are wonderful - but the POWER of One True Living God is BEYOND BELIEF!
