May 25th
Location: Monrovia

Ravi Zacharias, C.S Lewis and Tolkien are my favorite authors and although my time for reading has decreased since being in Liberia I have still found time to visit some of my favorite books. Lately I have been rereading pieces of Mere Christianity and of course I was challenged. It has been interesting to go back and read the writings I loved in the States and try to process them here in a Liberian context . In Mere Christianity C.S. speaks on the subject of giving and states, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. ” Wow, does C.S. know how to hit the right buttons or what? In Liberia many people ask for gifts and tons of resources has been given, this has lead to development but also dependency and again I am hit with that timeless question, as believers how are we suppose to respond to needs and poverty? Truthfully, I do not have a profound answer but I have been convicted of my giving all the same…What am I intentionally investing in, with my time, energy, and money. Sometimes missionaries and development workers are glorified and people think that they are the most intentional of all human beings, “saving the world” is the phase that comes to mind. But I am convicted that each individual is constantly required to answer to God on all that they have in that moment, no matter where they live or what job they are doing. Only when I can reply to God, yes, I am intentional about all that you have given me, during this moment, in this location, with these people, will I then hear “well done my child”. Even in missions and development work I have found myself slipping into the old pattern of doing a job instead of being focused on serving the people around me. It is one of the most humbling experiences when you realize that you are looking through people instead of truly at them. I could easily list off the dozens of tasks that I am currently doing yet I feel God has placed the question of who and what am I investing in on my heart and is asking me if it last for eternity.