Life Outside the Bubble

Well, I can barely believe it... ANOTHER weekend - come and gone. It seems as if the weekends anymore consist of an entire week of activity crammed into two crazy days (or should we say crazy "daze"). Ah, well... No regrets: after all, where would life's sweet and tangy flavor be without the seasoning of activity and interest to make it memorable?

Speaking of food... My three roommates and I were blessed with a special treat this evening: the delectable, national dish of none other than the faraway Mideast - JORDAN. Yes, ladies and gentleman, thanks to the delightful Joey Eaton and Mike Ward, we have received our first introduction to "mensaf" (sp?). As if the tasty chicken atop rice mixed with yogurt wasn't enough to raise your eyebrows, our entire dinner party feasted "Moroccan style" - right hands ONLY - absolutely no knives, forks, or spoons. (Thanks so much, guys, for taking the time to share a bit of your summer with the rest of us. PRAISE THE LORD for the work He accomplished thru you during your trip).

Tonight, I am thankful for the gorgeous picture of a quiet sunset over the Dead Sea (you rock, Joey!) resting comfortably next to my desk. I wonder if this might be a similar scene to one that Christ Himself might have beheld back when He paced this same earth. And suddenly, I am conscious of numerous humbling realizations:

I have never set foot off American soil. Much of my knowledge of the spiritual condition of foreign lands comes from the lips of friends and family who dare to venture forth in the name of God to spread the Truth of what we as US citizens so easily take for granted, yet so many live in utter ignorance - and NOT by choice. We read magazine clippings and news articles of North Koreans inhumanely tortured for defying their "leaders" by reading a Bible; Sudanese refugees forced to run from family and friends because they've recognized the Reality of the Gospel; Chinese citizens healing from bashed-in faces because they gathered to sing a hymn of thanks to the God who made them; and the list never ends. Are we TRULY conscious - whether passionate evangelist or budding believer - of the expansive "comfort bubble" we craft for ourselves from our lifestyle and perspectives as individuals?

I know I'm not. I can sit here, and I can write all of this "head knowledge" with a quick tap of the keyboard, and swift click of a mouse... But what bothers me the most is knowing that, deep down inside, I don't REALLY get it. I honestly have no idea of the life that other's might know. And it doesn't have to be an untouched people group around the globe... It could be that single mother I work with from 5pm til close every Friday night; or maybe the housekeeper who cleans my bathroom on the second floor; and then there's the coffee barister I should know by name by now...

God reminds us every day: there IS life outside our bubbles. Whether we choose to follow Him outside these transparent comfort zones...THAT remains a choice we must each commit to make. Christ set for us the ultimate example of what it is to live and function as a relational being: Father-focused, selfless, and constantly sharing in the victories and trials of others. Whether that indicates the suffering and lonely woman oceans afar, or the needful neighbor adrift down in Louisiana: we ARE to "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

I pray for the opportunity to, one day (soon - I hope), travel overseas, and participate in the work the Lord orchestrates around the world. These "barriers of ignorance" that have grown increasingly apparent in my life this past year are wobbling as we speak. God, in His loving kindness, loves us all too much to leave us as we are; and as He continues to expand our horizons, forcing all His children to "toe-the-line," may we consider it pure joy when He "bursts our bubble."