My missionary friends went home to their province to visit their family and tagged me along with them. Since there is also a mission work where the father of one of our church members is leading, they decided to drop by and encouraged the brethren there. Of course, I felt so excited because it is a new place for me, and it would be a great experience that for the first time, I get to visit a mission work.
It had been a very long ride from the city until we reached this small and mountainous community. My back already ached, my legs were about to give up, plus my eyes were so dry because of the dust that kept swaying in our faces. In my mind, I would like to tell my friends to just leave me somewhere convenient. But that could not be. So, I told myself to bear it – trusting that at the end of this road, there would be an air of relief. Anyway, I just treasured the view of mountains, plants, and trees that surrounded us. It felt like home. Needless to say, I was not really feeling okay because of the tiredness and discomfort that we needed to go through.
The sun was slowly setting down when we arrived in the place. As I looked around, I could barely point the luxury that I see in the city where we live in. All it had was the mild sound of the wind and the cold breeze of the trees at the foot of the mountain with the sounds of animals signaling that they exist.
Being in the city for so many years, I am used to the luxury and comfort that the world offers (though, I am not rich). But as I see this people, I feel the contentment in their lives. No extravagant houses, no expensive gadgets (not even wi-fi), no fancy clothes, and no high-tech phones. But these people still managed to smile and be generous to us. They look so innocent from the temptations to grab every opportunity, material wealth, fame, and popularity that I used to deal with every day. We heard stories of deep poverty, struggles, and trials that we, people in the city might not be able to understand. In their faces, hardship of life reflected, but there is radiance as I looked on their eyes. Radiance that even the struggles of life could not take away. Peace and joy were in their faces as they joyfully served meals for us. No sign of complaints nor pride, but total humility and happiness.
I sat down and prayed to God to open my eyes to know what He wanted me to see. And, as I looked back, I could not help but cried. Until now, it is still sinking in my mind the new life that the Lord wants me to take. It is also the simplicity of life in Him. When the Lord allowed this pain and struggle in my life, He showed me how I became so foolish chasing after these rubbish things of the world. I never imagined my life to be like this now. Is there any regret? Though, I find it weird, absolutely not. As I journey with this new reality, gratefulness is there. Gratefulness that I get to see the other side of life other than enjoying the pleasures of the world that will not last. My life would not be the same again, but as I am learning to embrace this season that the Lord allowed me to experience, I find my hope that someday, the Lord will grant my prayers.
Many times, the Lord allows us to experience emptiness and nothingness, so we would learn to look beyond the horizon. We look up and we see Jesus. Like what the Pastor said, “Jesus is everything. When we have Him, we have all.”
The Lord showed me how to be empty and have nothing in order for me to cling on to Him, and not on the things on earth nor myself.
- When we are empty, the Lord can fill us in.
- When we are empty, we learn to be dependent on the Lord.
- Emptiness will bring us closer to God as we need His strength day by day.
- Emptiness will make us look forward to God’s heavenly promise.
And there is unexplainable joy that is not easy to understand.
I like what my friend said that “when we enjoy the pleasures of the world, we don’t look forward to heaven” And, it is really true. When we live conveniently and comfortably, it is hard to think of heaven where there are no more pains, struggles, and problems. We then learn to love the world and make ourselves at home.
So, do I love emptiness? For now, yes. People might wonder, but through emptiness, I feel closer to God because I know I could not do anything apart from Him (John 15:5). I could not be proud. I could not be self-sufficient. And, through it, I have learned that I don’t own my life. I am just holding on to that hope that someday, the Lord will hear me.
In the same way, those people that we met, they live for the hope that someday, they will be in a place where pain, struggles, tears, hardship can no more be found. They find their all in Jesus.
I thought that I would be a blessing to them. But at the end of the day, I was the one who was blessed pondering that wonderful experience until now.
I went back to the city with lessons. The memory of their tainted faces and the joy they have in spite of nothingness will forever be engraved in my heart.
Indeed, when we are in Christ, even though we have nothing, we possess all things (2 Corinthians 6:10).
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