Refined in New York

It’s been a week since my return from New York City. I spent my Spring Break there serving in various capacities all over. There was the street evangelism to Russian Jews in Blyton Beach, Brooklyn. I struck up conversations with nominal Hindus and dedicated Muslims in Jackson Heights, Queens. In the Bronx, there was dancing with Cerebral Palsy patients. What else? How about performing for homeless army veterans at the Salvation Army or serving soup and bread to poor of Coney Island? Whether it was sorting bread for recovering drug addicts or drawing ‘Dragon Ball Z’ pictures for low-income kids, I’ve been thoroughly convinced that New York is a place bubbling over in diversity and change.

Ironically, it was not only the city of New York, but the team of 10 people I went with that taught me the deepest lessons. Through an intense week of ups and downs in both ministry and community, each of us were brought face to face with things about our own lives that God wanted change in. The fast paced dynamics of New York seemingly spilled over into our own comfortable day-to-day routines, forcing us to look at life again in a new way.

Some of us faced new experiences with the poor that forced us to reconsider how we lived or how to view our future callings. Others were challenged by new understandings of leadership and patience. For many, like myself, there were lessons learned about the delicate balance between speaking up boldly about the Truth while still covering it in Love. Above all, we all learned the imperative lessons about unity and division. These lessons were hard, uncomfortable, and very, very challenging.

The question is: when we are faced with new questions that challenge us to change for the better, do we run from them? In New York, we all faced hard things in ourselves that needed to be worked out, not only for the betterment of our own lives but also those in community around us. Each of us reacted in different ways to the challenges. Some of us grew apathetic, flustered, or confused. Others grew defensive and angry. Many of us were simply broken and tired. Indeed, it is easier to run to old, meaningless habits of our past despite the fact that these struggles would change us for the better.

Everyday we encounter people and experiences that challenge the status quo of our lives. I don’t want to live a status quo life like everybody else. I don’t think most people do. Most people want to strive to be better and stronger. Most of us want lives with more meaning. However, what I’ve learned is that in order to get better, we’ll often have to be thrust into hard places where we get broken. We’ll have to re-learn what it means to be humble. It’s not easy, but it is good.

For my 9 teammates and I, the new challenge is to refine our lives today in Wheaton in light of yesterday’s experiences in New York.

Current State of Spirit: Tired. Not only physically but almost on every level: mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I am taking the time to rest however, and God is faithful in healing and joy. I want to be refined.