(This was written in 2007 after a mission trip to Asia, recently updated)
We barely made the last shuttle bus of the evening from the airport to our hotel. After 20 hours of flying, I was ready for a bed where I could stretch out and get some sleep. My body wasn’t made to stay awake for more than 30 hours straight.
My best friend and I are in Hong Kong for a retreat. We are going to meet with women who are working as missionaries in various Asian countries. It’s hard to believe the planning and excitement of our trip now culminates in this overwhelming exhaustion.
The shuttle bus driver swerved through the crowded narrow streets with expertise. Sitting up so high, we watched the scenery through large, tourist-friendly windows. There wasn’t much to see at 1 a.m. until we got into the city proper.
From the safety of my tinted windows, I watched people — couples walked hand-in-hand and one young woman proudly held her bouquet of roses. I realized that crossing the International Date Line we had missed Valentine’s Day. An older man on a bicycle threaded his way through with sacks of goods on the handlebars. He looked tired. One street corner had five or six teenage boys with their hair spiked and their pants riding low, smoking cigarettes. I looked at them and saw babies trying to be grown-up. In front of us, a public city bus stopped to let a young woman off. She walked resolutely from the motor vehicle and, as she passed my window, she started to cry.
Half-way around the world I see the same emotions that I would find in my own neighborhood. In this case, the wearers are clothed with different colored skin and cultural features, but they are still the same. Infatuation, fatigue, emotional pain and adolescent bravado — all are universal.
I wonder if anyone will tell them that Jesus loves them? That’s because the answer to all the pains of life is also universal — to know the love of the One who created you for a purpose. Our Father gave us all unique life experiences and placed us in our families and homes for a reason. In Acts 17:24-27, Paul talked about how God made the world, gave life and determined the seasons and the birthplace of every precious soul on earth. Verse 27 states the reason for this: “So that they should seek the Lord… and find Him though He is not far away from every one of us.”
I don’t know why He chose for me to be born in the US and another woman to be born in Hong Kong and another in Russia or Kenya. I do know He saved me and led me to know Him so I could introduce Him to others I will meet. God designed these universal emotions to emphasize the gaping hole in a heart that tries to live without Him. Maybe I will get a chance to see the lady from the bus, or perhaps God has ordained that task for someone else who can offer comfort for her pain. Maybe you have been privileged to lighten the load for someone else. I pray some kind word or smile from one of His children will open the way for someone to know the love of Christ.
You have been called and destined to be the hands and feet of Christ to all you encounter. Without embracing such a divine purpose, your journey will be in vain. You are not a tourist. You are a commissioned ambassador to a lost and lonely world. Wake up! Remember why you are here, and watch God open the windows of opportunity.
— These articles are shared via the National WMA web page blog that can be accessed at nationalwma.org/blogs.
