Thursday, March 6, 2008

My Alabaster Jar

Over the past 24 hours, I've been asked by two different friends about going to Zeway this summer, and each time I reply, I begin by saying "the process is just really cool!" And it really has been. Looking back over the past few trips I've had to raise support for, it's been about going. This trip, however, I really feel is about the process. Not to say that I don't think I will be used, etc. once I'm on the field - I have no doubt that God has so much more in store for me once I get to Zeway - I just really feel as though there has been so much through the process of this trip that He is teaching me, and it's been simply amazing. Take tonight: I spent some time with a friend of mine, and as we were talking, the topic of support raising came about, and we agreed how it is a really cool part of the process - it beckons our trust and faith in who God is, and how He desires to provide for our greatest need. I've been blown away in the past week, with the arrival of two pretty big checks, and I realize that those big checks are beautiful and amazing, but they cause me to lose perspective of the smaller ones. I get caught in the bigness of things, and fail to remember that small always add up to big. As I'm talking about this with my friend, I think about Luke 7, where the woman interrupted a dinner party to see Jesus. She came with nothing but a bottle of perfume, and broke it over His feet. It wasn't about what she did or didn't have, it was about her heart. It's much harder to remember that giving is a heart issue, not a money issue. It is something worth trying hard to do: with each check that comes in, regardless of the amount, I want to view it as someone's alabaster jar, broken over the feet of Jesus, and poured out with love. I am grateful for any amount I receive - whether it be $5, $500, or anywhere in between, and I'm grateful to be more aware of the hearts behind the checks, rather than just seeing numbers. And it's defining moments like these that really shape the trip for me - it's not just about me going, but about learning along the way.

No comments: