My facebook news feed has been covered with posts about Christian conferences and week-long mission trips. I acknowledge that God does really cool things during times like that. He also does really cool things during times not like that. The latter is what I have experienced more than the former.
Coming from a small city with over 40 churches, I have observed many of peers go on week long "mission" trips or conferences and come back. During their time with the group, away from home, students (I realize this tends to be the case for adults, too, but I'll just use the word students--students of God) become gung-ho about getting sweaty and dirty just to serve people. Many students become more bold in saying the name of Jesus, and even will talk to strangers about Him. Afterwards the pseudo-high they have received lasts a few weeks, maybe even a month.
That is really cool, I am glad they get those experiences. Sometimes, going to another town is just what someone needs in order to think beyond themself and begin a life of service and following Jesus' footsteps. But it is so frustrating because here I am, at home, trying to live a life that continually has that mindset but I don't receive the praise of parents and friends saying "wow, that is so great of you to serve those 'in need'". I don't seem as "cool" to my peers because I did not go on the mission trip or conference trip that everyone else did. I don't have a million pictures of random strangers covering my facebook and computer from my one week of being in a new area that I now think the "the best place ever".
Even though I am a Christian, I sometimes feel like I don't fit in in a Christian town because I don't go to conferences each year or mission trips on my spring breaks. When people ask what I did during my break and I don't mention a mission trip, I feel judged and looked down upon. But, I am not going to go on a trip or to a conference just because others do. I have gone before, and most of the times I had no desire to but the Lord clearly told me to go. So I obeyed, and it was a sweet experience.
But in my whole course of being raised in a Christian town, I have gone on 3 trips and to one conference. Instead of going, the Lord is teaching me and training me to have these mission trip mentalities wherever I am.
While I might not receive the praise for what I'm doing from parents and friends, I know that the Lord is pleased and that the great cloud of witnesses in Heaven (Hebrews 12) is cheering me on. In being "lame" from not going on mission trips or conference trips during spring or summer break, I have learned what it means to not conform for conformity's sake, even if it is to a generally good thing. And instead of pouring into stranger's lives for a week and leaving, those "strangers" that I talk to about God, and those people I serve with all my heart, are people I see again and again. It is a kind of accountability because I stay where I serve.
I am convinced that this mentality of service and love not only can and should be, but needs to be an everyday thing in the life of a Christ follower.
Maybe that means making goals for each day of how to live out this serving mindset whether at work, home, or play, until the love and service becomes engrained into normal life. Maybe it means taking a week off from work to stay and serve whomever whenever. Or maybe it does mean going on a week long trip with an accountability group to stay focused before, during, and afterwards.
Whatever that may look like, may this mission trip mentality be an everyday thing and may the Lord transform your mind as you seek Him.
Since I am not a Catholic, nor do I understand how a confession booth works, I will instead confess to the whole cyber world: about a year and a half ago, I purchased a "Toms" t-shirt out of pure greed and desire to look cool. I now majorly regret that purchase.
I am not against Toms, in fact, I have many a pair. When I bought the shoes, though, I actually needed (by my frugal American standards--I had two pairs of sneakers but both were 3 years old and had holes) a pair of shoes. I wanted a nice pair for when I had to dress up for events (because I am unable to wear flats or heels) and then a casual pair or two to alternate on my normal days. When one is in need (not want) of shoes, what better place to purchase them than from Toms? That was really cool that I could get a pair of shoes and also purchase a pair for someone in need.
But a Toms t-shirt--in my case, not so cool at all.
I have many shirts. So many, in fact, that I have cut up a ton in hopes of creating a quilt out of them. I did not and still do not need any shirts. So why did I purchase a Toms shirt? And why do I regret that decision now?
I purchased that Toms shirt because of my "need" for a choral colored shirt that fit just as so. If you just looked at my closet and saw all those earth tones, you would know I needed some brighter colors to spice it up. At least that was part of my thought process. In all honesty, though, as I mentioned before, I have a lot of clothes. The "need" was actually a pure desire so I would feel better about my closet. It was totally selfish and now I regret it even more as I am trying to limit my closet to those earth tones that always go well together.
To make myself feel better about spending money on clothes I figured that nothing would be better to buy that from a charity organization that supports Christian values of social justice. Clothing items that advertise charities or values (such as Christian values, or beliefs) are sometimes thought to encourage others to help out, too. Some people even think it is evangelistic to wear a shirt that has a Bible verse on it or says in all capitals "JESUS". My personal thought, though, is that is backwards. While I do not know each individual t-shirt wearer's story, I generally think it is pretty silly. Why spend money on a t-shirt, when you already have tons, for the sake of "helping" others? If you want your money to go towards a charity, give the money to the charity instead of getting something out of it for yourself. If one is a Christian, at least, I think that giving shouldn't be proclaimed to everyone like shirts tend to do "hey, I am such a good Christian, I gave my money to this charity, you can tell by reading my shirt! I did my kind duty of the month...just wait till next month when I wear a sweatshirt showing a different charity!" While this may be exaggerated a little, my thoughts in purchasing the shirt were kind of similar in "hey, look I support children in less-fortunate parts of the world...you should too! How? Oh, just read my shirt: TOMS."
Plus, am I the only one that internally rolls my eyes when I see people (even my friends--I do love them) wearing those Christian parody shirts? "Faith Book-- Jesus wants to put you in His book Do you accept?" I could go on about the beef I have with that particular saying, but in general, I think actions and relationships mean a lot more than the clothes one wears.
For now, I think I am going to keep my Toms shirt. Each time I see that bright choral color in my dresser drawer or wear it I will be reminded of how I should think more about my decisions. I do not want to conform to the world, but instead I want to be transformed as the Lord renews my mind.
