Love One Another

I will never forget driving up to the church one evening and William (not his real name), was sitting on the steps just waiting for someone to show up and let him in. Will grew up in the worst kind of social squaller. He was the product of a broken home and his mother would bring men into the house and engage in behavior that no child should ever have to see.

One day members of the local church were canvassing the neighborhood and signed Will up to ride the "Joy Bus." It was the day that changed his life forever. He only lived a few blocks away, so he rarely waited for the bus to show up at his house. More often than not he was at the church ready to ride along and help out where he could. He attended every service, never missed a youth event, and pretty soon was leading prayers and giving short Bible talks.

I left for college and often wondered what happend to Will, at least until that cool December morning in Plymouth, MI. I remember a tall strapping young man in uniform walked in with his wife at his side and small child in tow. Will was serving with distinction in the U.S. Army, had married a Christian girl and was active in the local church.

How does a young man from such a troubled background grow to become a pillar in the local church? It was the result of a loving family. No, not his biological family, but his spiritual family. I have often subscribed to the belief that we can make a lot of mistakes in life, as long as we love one another, for "love covers a multitude of sin."

Evaluating our Priorities

There was a sense of relief as our plane landed in Lagos, Nigeria. After spending a day and a half on airplanes and in airports I was ready to start our pilgrimage across the Dark Continent.

I smiled as we waited on our luggage. There was a large sign hanging over the exit that read, "Nigeria: The happiest people on earth." My initial reaction was, "Yea Right." I had heard stories about Nigeria; the violence, corruption and poverty. How could these be the happiest people on earth?

The next two hours were spent in cramped vehicles traveling to Calabar. As we drove through the crowed streets of Lagos I was a bit overwhelmed by the overcrowding and poverty. Again, I thought about the sign in the airport "Nigeria: The Happiest People on Earth." The blind, crippled and destitute standing in the streets begging for their daily bread, raw sewage running through the streets - who were they trying to convince?

The next couple of weeks showed me a different side of Nigeria - the people living outside of the major cities. While there was still poverty and hardships I came to realize that many of the people working in the markets, or selling their wares on the streets lived life from day to day. They didn't have the luxury of worrying about tomorrow or next week, for as Jesus said, "tomorrow will bring its own anxieties" (Matthew 6:34).

Two weeks without the cell phone ringing, or the beckoning call of my internet browser was a welcome relief. I kept notes in a hand written journal and took daily walks on the campus or through the local villages. During that time I ate better, slept better and felt better about myself and about life. I realized how easy it is for my priorities to get completely out of balance.

I have returned home from mission trips before with a commitment to change my priorities, only to fall quickly back into old patterns of behavior. I pray this time that I can keep some of those promises I made to myself about simplifying life and taking pleasure in this day that God has given me.

I don't know if the Nigerian people are the happiest people on earth, but I found an inner peace and contentment during my short stay there. I pray that I can hold on to those feelings a little longer this time round.