From My Journal

"G+d taught me a lot of things this past week while we've been out in the "bush".....about servanthood, and compassion.  In a book I've been reading while here in Ch+d, Henri Neuwen says it best, "It's not really all about the more fortunate helping the unfortunate.  When I/we realize that G+d himself is the source of ALL of our comfort and consolation right in the center of servanthood, compassion is much more than just doing "good" for the less fortunate.  When I/we see servanthood as an encounter with the compassionate G+d, we no longer see a distinction between wealth and poverty, success and failure, fortune and bad luck - nor is it a way to surround ourselves with as much misery as possible. Servanthood then becomes a joyful way of life in which our eyes are opened to the vision of the true G+d who chose servanthood to make himself known.  The poor are called blessed not because poverty is good, but because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  The mourners are called blessed not because mourning is good but because they will be comforted.
I pr^y that as my thinking and my heart come to grip with this concept that I will continue to seek ways not to just serve for the sake of serving, but to have a true Chr=st-like compassion.
We (our team from  Gr*ce) have started to talk about how we put our thoughts and experiences into words.  So far my journal reflects stories and a few lessons learned, but there is a bigger picture.  I just haven't been able to put words to it yet.  We all feel that way.

There is a song that I listened to often before I left for Ch^d.  I remember listening to it the night I wrote this journal entry.  I hope you enjoy it.       I Don't Want To Go Through The Motions by Matthew West