We might…

Last Saturday night we went to a party at one of our neighbor’s house. It was kind of a baby shower. Luckily there were no stupid games in sight so I stuck around. It was such a simple house, we were sitting out front on simple chairs in the dirt yard. Lots of kids, a few neighbors and later on some of their family from in the town showed up. One of the couples that showed up just looked like they didn’t belong. Obviously family that had some how ended up middle class instead of living in the shack next door. Their apparent discomfort with the location got me thinking, especially when the food came out.

Growing up in the United States we are so fearful of food, water, people, new areas. We fear the mights. If you eat that you might get sick, if you drink that you might get sick, if you go there you might get robbed. This meat might have gone bad we better throw it out. Living here I have had to start dealing more with the probable and less with the maybes. You probably won’t get sick and you very likely won’t die, the meat is probably fine, the eggs left on the counter must be fine everyone here eats them. I have found myself often thinking about the maybes and having to apply reality to them. The food is probably a bit dirty, they probably didn’t wash their hands real good, it might have been old but it wont kill me. The reality is the people whose house I was at are likely on their way to hell.

Everything in me says don’t eat this, don’t drink the water offered to you, you don’t know where it came from but the faces in front of me need Jesus. Even if all the worst bacteria in the world are in the cup in front of me will I drink? Will I let my kid eat and drink? Absolutely. Jesus didn’t call me to worry about the maybes he called me to worry about souls. What ever the risks they are nothing compared to the potential gains. If I refuse and don’t relax how can I present the love of God to them. Who will disciple them? It takes life on life contact to make a difference and who am I to think I am too good to be one of those lives?

There are very few rewards that don’t have risk in life. How often are we willing to take risks for financial gain, to win a girl, to get ahead? Why are we so afraid to take risks to see people come to Jesus?

As I evaluate where Brazil is as a nation and think back on my history of missions trips I wonder what things could be like if we worried less about the maybes. I think we have tended to preach the gospel then retreat to safety. We have created in Brazil an environment where few would reject Christ, many would pray a prayer but few have been discipled. We have lived apart from the people we say we want to reach.

I wonder if we don’t do this even in the US? I am aware that it was rare I went around my neighborhood and visited with my neighbors. I didn’t go sit at the bar down the street and listen to peoples stories. I didn’t pray for those around me. I didn’t know who they were.

Today I seen one of the guys I met at the party at the little store by the house. We said hi and talked. I don’t know if I will ever see him come to Christ but I know if I hadn’t eaten a very scary piece of toast with some kind of tuna on it (I despise tuna, grossest thing on earth) I wouldn’t have recognized him today much less talked with him. I know a few days ago my landlord came to tell me his mom, she had bypass surgery for five arteries, was doing better and how much it meant to her when he told her I was praying for her.

I am learning that sacrifice and risk are the only things that will lead to touched lives. What areas can I continue to stretch, where do I need to sacrifice more? Where can you take risks, what can you give up? We need to be more concerned with the good mights. What we might see happen in the kingdom of God if we risk more.

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