Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
- Philippians 2:5-8
Miawoe zɔ, friends.
That means “welcome.” I like to pretend I know a little Éwé (Eʋegbe) which is the most popular Togolese vernacular language, though French is the nation’s “official language.” That one is easier for me. Salut, mes amis. Je suis très heureux pour cet été. J’ai appris un peu français ce semestre seulement… So we’ll see how far that takes me. Madame Joyce told me there are actually a handful of professors here who are from/have been and are familiar with French-speaking African countries. Yeah… why didn’t I get one of those?
There are 38 days until my semester ends, and 51 until I leave for Togo. I am fully aware that time is going to fly and I’ll be on that plane before I know it. I am so thrilled to dive into another culture and learn more about my God, and sometimes anxious about where this funding is coming from, but at an understanding with Him about just how much control I have over the financial support coming in. Which is none. I am not He who changes hearts and beckons servants to give cheerfully and generously. It’s been really weird… to acknowledge that this part- which is so obviously essential to the trip- is completely out of my hands. It’s been a relief too. It’s been a test in surrender and trust, a forceful one at that. But I just stand here in awe as I witness Him deliver every time.
I came back to CoMO early during my Spring break. I just love school so much I couldn’t stand to be away for more than 5 days. Just kidding. I do love Columbia though. I think about that passage in Matthew 9 where Jesus is just blazing through cities and villages, talking about the Father and “proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom.” He’s encountering people who don’t even believe at all, and then people who are so overwhelmed by His presence. He is encountering the dirty and the dying and the sick, and it says that He looked out at the masses of people and “had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). That’s how I feel sometimes. I’ve said that here before- how I walk through this campus sometimes and just feel grief.
I have a good community of friends here now who have that same compassion. So we came back early to immerse ourselves into the hurting or struggling areas of our own community. Of our brothers and sisters that have a hard time coming up with food for every meal, of children without their parents, of the helping hands of this city. There were 7 of us, and let me tell you: 4 straight days with a group this size and you’re like a little family by the end. I suppose that is kind of the point. We played Bingo and Dominos with an old and wise generation together, and packaged like 4 tons of cheesy hotdogs together, and painted a handful of doors and learned how to caulk the walls from Bob the Builder together, and raked a whole lot of mulch together, and played Signs in the break room at the Mid Missouri Food Bank together, and talked for a lot of hours about our lives before Jesus together, and relayed the importance of weighing all consequences of a choice in “Make It, Take It, or Break It” together, and slept in the same beds together (haha boys at the boy house, girls at the girl house), and we discussed a lot of Scripture together, and prepared a delicious amount of food for one another, and played with 10 little kids that were so hungry for our attention together, and ate a meal with our brother Thomas (and his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Daisy), who live in Columbia and don’t have a home, together. We prayed together, and broke bread together, and we were emptied together, and then also filled together. I just said “together” 15 times. And my point is that all of those things, “serving” our community, wouldn’t have changed us in this way if we hadn’t been together. Because when the 4 days were over, I realized our community had really served us. It taught us to be more generous and humbled servants with each other, and to be so thankful for where the Lord has placed us in our lives and what He’s placed in them, and also to be selfless with giving and focused on bringing His Kingdom to meet us where we are every day. All of that in 4 days. He is Jesus.
Not to mention that the day we worked on the house for Habitat happened to be a gorgeous day. Check out that pretty blue sky.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:26:31
I like the part where it says that because of Him I am in Christ Jesus. When Paul challenged the church in Philippi to be humbled servants, he tells them to be encouraged by Jesus’ example. Being able to feel that compassion and great compeller to love selflessly and give not only money, but time and myself is straight from Jesus. That was His mind, His love. We share that with Him, and its absolutely beautiful.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, and participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord of one mind.
- Philippians 2:1-2
That’s how we’re humbled. By taking on His mind, sharing His compassion and love for man, but ultimately sharing a love for the glory of the Father.
^___________^ amen girl, rock on!!! i will be a prayin for your trip, sister.
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