Traveling is finally done and we are glad to not be driving anywhere for a while. Upon reflecting on everything that we did I realized that we met some really incredible people with a wide range of backgrounds.
There was Kathy who was traveling solo on a trip across the U.S. and staying at all the national parks she could. Then we met Mary and Peter, Canadian school teachers who were using their time off to travel the U.S. while living out of their van. There was Peggy, a friend of my Uncles, who adored Ezra. She said he reminded her of her own grandson. Jonathan was an artist that we met while walking the board walk. I asked if I could take his picture. There were probably a dozen others whose names I don’t remember that we met while traveling.
Every person or couple was seeking something, whether it was freedom, adventure, or fame. My wife and I would never have known, however, had we not asked. I had not realized it before, but Kelly and I have developed a routine (Ezra is probably to blame) that we rarely deviate from. This is great for seasons of life but is troubling when considering some of the amazing people in this world still in need of the gospel. The only way to find them is to step into areas that I am otherwise unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Of the people I mentioned above, only one came to us asking questions. The rest we started conversations with.
In Piper’s book, Desiring God, Piper defines loving others as, “the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others.” He even goes as far to say that we should be seeking our joy in seeking the joy of others. It should be our delight to make others happy and encouraged. This is one of great things about working for a company like FD. Through fundraisers and volunteer work, FD works to bring out the joy of Christ to the people of Abilene. However, it is one thing to be a part of an organization that does good work, but what are you doing in your own life to bring about the joy of others? This is something I realized when talking with strangers from all over the world: I did not step out of my comfort zone enough in my daily life. Luke 6:35 says, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expect nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
How are we doing this in our own lives and in the lives of the people we meet?