With actions and in truth.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." - 1 John 3:17-18

   I'm a little (or a lot) behind on life here, but this summer mom and I are returning to SE Asia to work with sex-trafficking victims. My mama's my best friend and for years we've dreamed of going on a trip together. After much thought and prayer this trip landed us 8,000 miles away for three weeks between me taking boards and moving/starting a new job. A lot of people don't quite understand why we've decided to spend our time in a poverty stricken country instead of sitting on a beach relaxing for a week, but the above verses were said in church this morning and I think they sum it up pretty well for me.

   I've seen my brothers and sisters in need and how can I not love them? I've seen brokenness, poverty, and injustice and my hearts been completely shattered. I've also seen hope, restoration, and justice though and the Lord's put a burning passion in my heart to see these things overcome the brokenness, poverty, and injustice. And the way the Lord does this is extremely complicated, but also incredibly simple. He calls broken, sinful people like mama and myself to love with actions and in truth. He equips us to love well, through the love we've been given. So that's why we're flying over 26 hours for three weeks only to be sleep deprived and culture-shocked and home-sick, but also to pour out Christ's love, to see the Kingdom grow, to be challenged, and to witness the hope overcome injustice. 

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19