Helping and Being Helped from Greece to Nepal

During my last week or so in Greece, the Lord was so faithful to move. Earlier in my time there, I saw such need in the form of homelessness. There were so many, even children, sleeping out on the sidewalks. It seemed every time I would see them was when I didn’t have anything to give. I started carrying some extra clothes, and it was such a blessing to me when I finally met some when I could give something. Each time, the Holy Spirit came and touched those people. We didn’t speak the same language, but I know He spoke to their hearts more perfectly than I ever could.

It meant so much that the Lord would create these moments and allow me to participate. That He would be glorified in the people’s lives, and that they would have even a moment of peace and feeling loved, and that the moment can last and grow, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to be life in Christ.

My travels from Greece to Nepal brought several challenges, which were a great opportunity to practice an element of faith that I think often gets neglected in Christian communities today. It seemed at every turn, something went wrong: from catching the train to get to the airport, to standing in line for two and a half hours to get through security, to my debit card being shut down due to fraudulent charges, ending with having to re-buy a sim card for my phone to function because the e-sim I purchased ahead of time doesn’t actually work here.

What part of faith involves this kind of constant struggle? I hear many speak of faith as if it is only to bring fortune, or to keep difficulties at bay. There are places for these, but to keep them as the only perspective would lead to disappointment and discouragement. Faith is for rough roads as well as smooth.

This part of faith looks like on hard days and on easy days, keeping the same trust in God and the same attitude in our heart. If our foundation, our solid rock, is Jesus (and only Jesus), He won’t shake or falter no matter the surrounding circumstances. This means neither would we. This morning I read Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” This brings us to a decision: to trust in the Word and promises of God, or to be swayed by what is going on around us.

II Corinthians 4:16-18 talks about looking to the unseen, which is eternal. As believers we are eternal, and the works of Jesus through death and resurrection are eternal. These situations will only last a short time, but trusting in the Lord will bring eternal fruits.

I arrived at the guesthouse where I will be staying after about twenty hours of travel. I was excited, but also very tired. My room is two stories up, with no elevator or anything like that, meaning I had to carry my luggage (a 23 pound backpack and a 52 pound suitcase) up two flights of stairs. Only it wasn’t me that carried them. As I walked up the stairs, the suitcase felt almost empty, and I forgot I was even wearing the backpack. When I reached the top, I was hardly out of breath. The Holy Spirit came and helped me. He took the weight of these things I was carrying.

I trust Him to help me the same way as I step forward here in Nepal. I certainly can’t do any of this on my own, and I’m so grateful that I don’t have to.