Changing My Perspective on Life

Over Christmas break, I went on a mission trip to Haiti with a mission my aunt and uncle started five years ago called Healing Haiti. Throughout the mission trip, I was able to do things and see things I never thought possible. I held a 3 month old baby that weighed 1.5 pounds, brought clean water to the poorest and most dangerous slum in Haiti, and play with kids that had no shoes, no clothes, and were infected with parasites, disease, and malnutrition. God broke my heart in Haiti, filled it with His love, and has given me a deeper meaning to life. I no longer feel a need to seek out superficial pleasures to fill those empty spaces in my heart, but rather feel the need to share the talents and gifts I have been given with those in need. The letter below is something I wrote to myself during my trip to be a reminder of how answering the callings God places on my heart can lead me towards fulfillment.

Remember me? It is me, the one that you held at Gertrude's orphanage for the disabled and mentally handicapped children. You smiled at me, held me in your hands, and loved me even though I was rejected from society. It is me, the one you danced, sang, and played with in the streets covered with garbage, dirt, and poverty. You held my hand, even though it was covered with dirt, and you played with me even though I had no clothes on. Remember me? I was the little child at Mother Teresa's that you rocked in your arms and that you fed nourishing food to. Even though I was sick with disease, you comforted me. Remember me? I was the child that had no parents or family to care for me except for the orphanages that took me in. You visited me when no one else would. You played with me, listened to me sing, and nourished my needs.
Remember me? You cared for me, loved me, and served me when no one else would. It was me, God, looking through the eyes of these people you were serving. I had no clothes and you clothed me. I had no food and you gave me nourishment. I had no drink and you gave me water. And while you did all this serving the least of those, you were serving me.

When you start seeing God in the sick, the poverished, the lonely, the disabled, and the hungry you can open your hearts to a truly deeper understanding of life. It's so easy to get caught up in the little details of life, the petty drama among friends, and the materialistic aspects of our American culture. It’s so easy to put yourself first and to live your life comfortably. However, if you allow yourself to see God in every one's eyes and to live selflessly, you become blessed with God's abundant love. Searching to fill that void in your heart ceases as it becomes filled with pure joy. I challenge you to reflect upon your life and the choices you make to see how living life for yourself rather than for others impacts the world around you. I challenge you to give more of yourself and to use the gifts God has given you to help those in need. Your time on Earth is short, so choose wisely what you do with it. Your choices will impact your eternity.