Sacrifice

On Wednesday we had an Indonesian teacher speak at our teacher chapel. She used to be a part of the Islamic faith in this city. She discussed her struggles as a teenager and further into adulthood, until she was brought to a healing ceremony put together by a Christian organization. She committed her life to Christ. When she returned to her family, she was kicked out of her house, verbally abused, and told never to contact them again. She had become disowned by her family. She talks about the struggles of being a Christian knowing that her own parents almost “hate” her for it. When she sings these praises to Christ, she means that she is giving her “All in All” to Him, including her relationships with others. With the Lord’s mercy, her family has reconnected communication, accepted her lifestyle, and loved her again. But it wasn’t an easy journey.
I think of my sacrifices. I was troubled by my sacrifices of leaving my fiancé, my family, my friends for a couple of months to be here in Indonesia. Truth be told, I know that they support me and would be on the other side of the phone, computer, or airline with encouragement like no other. I couldn’t give up these people in my life, ever! I can’t wait to see them again! So what kind of sacrifices am I willing to give? I can give up my hot showers, my clean tap-water, my Tim Hortons coffee. But what kind of sacrifices have I made for my faith? It doesn’t seem like many. Being raised in a Christian household, attending Christian education, and growing up with tremendous church support, I feel I haven’t given up anything because I love the way my life is. I try to count my blessings and still am far-low of reaching my thankfulness capacity (which I don’t think there is such thing as thanking too much). Should I be making sacrifices for my faith? The word sacrifice has such a negative connation as if I would be losing something. Maybe I should be looking at it more as “Is there something in my life that I should get rid of in order to become closer God? “ This is a question I think we can all wrestle with. With thanksgiving and praise I thank God for my opportunities and experiences I am able to encounter while being here in Indonesia. I am also very thankful for those in my life who profess the same faith, people who help and encourage my walk in the ways of the Lord. I pray that God will give us the eyes to see and the ears to see His works and hear His word in the world so that we can share these great testimonies of Truth with those around us.
“You want to be real. You want to be empty inside.
You want to be someone, laying down your pride.
You want to be someone someday, lay it all down before the King.
You want to be whole. You want to have purpose inside.
You want to have virtue. And purify your mind. You want to be set free today,
and lay it all down before the King.
This is my desire. This is my return.
This is my desire, to be used by you.”
-Jeremy Camp in his song “My Desire”
Blessings.
Love always.