Grace – Unmerited Favor

7/8/2013

In the summer of 2008, immediately following my freshman year of high school, I went to Impact Summer Camp. I had not yet begun regularly attending Living Hope Community Church with my family, but my sister brought me along with their youth group into an encounter with God that left me changed forever. Five years ago, I was saved during a worship service at Impact 2008. God met me where I was at and redirected my life. It’s always hard to explain what happens during a salvation experience. It’s much easier for me to point to the effects of my salvation. Australia, Cancun, Nicaragua, Hillsdale, Worship Music, Piano, Medicine, etc. All of these experiences, passions, and dreams came from what Jesus accomplished on the cross and accomplished in my life.

I told you that story to tell you this one:

A couple weeks ago, I heard that the worship team for Impact Summer Camp 2013 was in need of a keyboard player. I thought that the opportunity sounded God-sent, so I sent in an application and a short video audition. I received a positive response almost immediately. A couple days before the camp started, I received a phone call informing me that the bass player had dropped out and that the band would love to have me on to play bass instead. I informed them that Noah was proficient at keys and waited for a response. Today, the Impact band + Noah and I played the opening service for Impact 2013.

It’s amazing how quickly God can change a person’s life. God has pulled me back to the place I was saved only five years later to show me the incredible work that he has done in my life. Furthermore, he is giving me the opportunity to share that same saving grace with the next generation. It just makes me laugh to think about it.

I told you that revelation to share this lesson:

As a minister of God’s grace in whatever capacity, you will never know the full extent of what God accomplishes through your sacrifice and willingness to serve. The sinners who meet Jesus today are the saints and martyrs of tomorrow.

Surgery

6/25/13

Today, I had the opportunity to assist in a surgery for the first time. Yesterday, Mike Riley brought me into the operating room to see five gall bladder removals. Today, I scrubbed in with the surgeons and was allowed to hold the scope for four gall bladder removals.

The surgical procedure was quite interesting. To reduce the size of scars and lower the chance of infection, the surgeons will create four small incisions into the stomach rather than one large one. Long instruments are then fed through the four incisions and all of the surgical cutting, cauterizing, and even sewing are done underneath the skin. To see what is happening, a surgeon inserts a long camera and light into one of the incisions. This camera is called the scope. My job was to be the eyes for the surgeon.

God has given me a lot of time to think about surgery and what lessons that can be learned from it. Here are my thoughts:

1. The first step in surgery is cleanliness. Everything instrument used for the surgery is sterile. Every surgeon operates within a sterile field. The patient must be cleaned to reduce all risk of infection. The same has been true for my walk with Jesus. Before ripping out any weeds in our bodies, Jesus cleans us. I know that when I’ve been battling something for a long time and fail, I’m prone to respond by being indignant and channeling my emotional response into a renewed conviction never to fail again. The renewed conviction has always ended in failure that goes beyond how far I’d ever failed before. There is no emotional conviction, mental determination or physical sacrifice that can ever match the sustained power of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. God wants to clean you before performing surgery on your heart, mind, and body.

2. Although surgery is very clean, it is certainly not beautiful. I guess I had thought at one point that a removal surgery would be rather graceful and intricate. Nope. The human body is a massively complex system of sustained consciousness. But for all their complexity, our internal organs are not anything close to being pretty. Especially not gall bladders. A gall bladder removal mainly involves blood, bile, and cauterized flesh. Spiritual surgery has never really looked pretty either. When God puts things into light that have been hidden for a very long time, the revelation is usually disgusting. More than likely, spiritual surgery is going to be very messy and rather painful.

3. Surgery is worth it.

“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:10-11

Walk With Me

6/21/13

After a half-day of working in a village, the team had the opportunity to travel to a Mayan ruin called Ek Balam. The ruin was actually quite large and had a Mayan observatory, temple, and other buildings. The stepped pyramid was quite intricately designed. The steps on the pyramid were created uneven to slow down enemies during warfare. The Mayans were also smart with their observatory. Reflecting pools were built into the top of the observatory pyramid so that stars could be seen and mapped in the reflection instead of simply looking at the sky.

Yet for all their ingenuity, the ruins at Ek Balam pale in comparison to the small cave pool in the forest nearby. The term for these cave pools is a “cenote” (sen-oh-tay). The pool was about a 20 minute walk away. Swimming in the cenote was a very welcome break from the tropical heat. During my swim, I couldn’t help but think of the greatness and beauty of God’s creation. I had expected to be fascinated by architecture, but ended up enjoying a hole in the ground with water in it even more. God is certainly a brilliant designer. It’s crazy to think of all my trips to different parts of the Americas and Australia and know that there is so much more of God’s design on this planet that remains to be seen. I’m always curious to know what beautiful things that God puts into stars and onto planets that humanity will never even see.

I was by myself on the walk back from the cenote, so I began to pray. As I prayed, thunderclouds gathered above and signaled that rain was near. I heard the thunder and prayed for rain. I wanted to be drenched, not only with water, but with God’s spirit. However, no rain came. Finally, I decided to just wait and listen. In that moment, God decided to speak to me. I believe God said the following: “Walk with me, and you will get drenched.” Immediately, raindrops fell. By the time I got to the bus, I was soaked to the bone and exceedingly happy about it.

In my life, I can hear the thunder. I can see the vision. God has unbelievable things in store. If I walk with him, I will be drenched.

“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” – Habakkuk 1:5.

No Hablo Espanol

6/18/13

I do not speak Spanish. This has become increasingly problematic, due to the fact that this missions trip is in Mexico. For the past couple days, I have been traveling with a team of about twenty people, including two doctors, some pastors, and many general helpers. We are the branch of IMA that ministers to impoverished Mayan villages outside the Mexican cities near Cancun. I have served in the past couple days by filling the prescriptions that the doctors issue to the villagers. Mostly I’ve just been filling orders for Tylenol, ibuprofen, and anti-parasite drugs. However, my position as a pharmacist also means that I have to inform the patients about dosages and other rather important details – in Spanish.

Out of every person who has come through the clinic, there hasn’t been a single person who has spoken English. It is an extremely humbling experience to be unable to describe what you’re trying to say or think. God has very much gifted me with the ability to encourage people. Without the ability to communicate, I’ve been unable to build relationships with any patients who come through the clinic. Even if I had the opportunity presented to me, I would not be able to share the news of the gospel.

As a person interested in future medical missions, this realization has greatly affected me. Missionary work is never a one-man show. The church has never been a one-man show either. I will always be at the mercy of God to provide the money, translators, workers, and organization to be able to carry his gospel into places outside of my sphere of influence. That being said, I’ve been working on my Spanish while I’m here and have been able to deal with most of the questions that are asked. I’m sure that God has slipped in the gift of interpretation here or there to help expedite the process.

God has me in the correct place at the correct time. The prayers have been much appreciated. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to write about the operating room!

Day Zero

6/15/13

At 3:30 this morning, the alarm on my phone politely informed me that my flight to Mexico would leave in a couple hours.  I’ve learned quite a bit since then.

This morning, I knew only a few things about this missions trip.

1.       Location – (Near) Cancun, Mexico.

2.       Purpose – Gospel, Medical ministry

3.       Leadership – Holy Spirit

Honestly, three weeks ago I didn’t even know that this trip even existed. By the time I applied online, I was already a full month past the last possible application date. Within those short three weeks, God provided all the resources, guidance, and grace I needed to get here. As of this morning, I didn’t know a single person who would be going on this trip in the first week (I’m vaguely familiar with someone who will be in the second week). As this whirlwind of events was taking place, God brought to my mind John 3:8, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Let me list a few of the blessings that I’ve been hit with in the past 20 hours:
                1. One of the doctors on this trip is a professor at the MSU College of Human Medicine, downtown GR. (The same med-school that I’ve been wanting to attend.)

                2. The flights and layovers gave me the time to read more than half of the new Bonhoeffer biography alongside Matthew 5-8. (Extremely challenging, highly recommended)

                3. A college student from Texas named John. He’s highly encouraging and a man after God’s own heart.

                4. A team that is ALL about helping people

I’ll post whenever I have internet access, which may not be until the end of the trip.

Thanks for any prayers you send my way!

The Grind

I'm going to conveniently ignore the fact that I haven't posted anything recently and just start from where I'm at now.

Obviously, I'm not in Australia anymore. Since this is the case, I won't be continuing to use this blog to inform you of how things are going in Australia and at Hillsong Church. However, I recently did some reading of my old posts and was greatly encouraged by how God had showed himself faithful and taught me important lessons in the midst of difficult circumstances. Since God is not restricted by oceans and borders, these lessons have continued here in Hillsdale. I hope that the things which I record here will bless you and your relationship with Him as He has blessed mine.

Here we go!

In my recent reading, I came across Psalm 39. Within the psalm, David sings, "Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is." After reflecting for a short while, I was hit by David's realization. Our days are indeed short. By most standards, I've already lived between a third and a fourth of my life on the earth. Meditation on this passage leads me straight into frustration with my circumstances. "What the heck am I doing in college?"

College is difficult. Often it can feel like treading water or just passing time. Even before I left Australia, I had misgivings about my decision to return and pursue medicine. In my mind at least, I was very comfortable at Hillsong. God clearly blessed my time at Hillsong with momentum, miracles, and success. It's very hard to leave such a charged environment for one which you can't be quite sure about.

However, I am sure of some things.

1. God is good. - This goes right along with his faithfulness. He was with me and carried me through his journey for me at Hillsong. He will be with me here.

2. God's plan is good. - An in-depth look at any creature, process, body part, atom, star, or force will show that God is at the very least an artisan. The time which I spend in college is not wasted. I believe that if God has me here, this is the very best place that I can be.

3. People are worth it. - If I'm going to endure anything at all, I have to change my perspective and realize that ultimately, college is not entirely about me. Yes, I will have the opportunity to grow as a person. However, the scope of God's plan for me at Hillsdale extends beyond the internal. Everyday I will come into contact with hundreds of people who need to see Jesus. I have the constant opportunity on campus to be a showcase of the power of Jesus to transform a sinner and sustain him.

I am sure that the reason for my placement at Hillsdale will be forthcoming and will be as exciting as anything I have yet experienced. As for now, I will continue in the knowledge that God is good and that people are worth it.