I just got back from my very first mission trip. It was absolutely incredible. It was such a blessing to be to be able to spend a week serving our God with every conversation, action, and thought centered around Him. I was constantly amazed at how well everyone worked together; it just blows my mind that 25 people that know close to nothing about building houses can come together in the name of the Lord and build them, and build them well. It is amazing to me how despite the language barrier (my Spanish vocabulary consisting of hola, bien, Vaya con Dios, and gracias), we could play games with the kids and show the people of Empalme our love for God. Even though I knew this already, it was really cool to see these beautiful people in a different country worshiping the same God we worship. God has truly opened my eyes to see His people in a new light.
While I was there, a few things got me thinking. It hit me one day after feeling sorry for all the emaciated dogs that I and much of our society have our priorities backwards. If you showed a US citizen a picture of an extremely skinny puppy and a dilapidated house, many people would feel more sympathetic towards the puppy. This is so wrong.
This got me thinking about something one of my friends had asked me a few months ago about endangered animals and our role as Christians to protect them. Do we have a responsibility to keep endangered animals from going extinct? I think we do.
However, Mexico got me thinking that maybe I am doing the wrong thing with my life by wanting to work in a zoo or wildlife refuge. After all, there are so many people in this world that need more help and rightly deserve it than a few endangered animals. I was talking to a girl that went on the Mexico trip also about this and she was telling me how the Bible tell us in Genesis that God has given us the responsibility to take care of His creation.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." -Genesis 1:28
I think that this is a pretty big responsibility. God was careful in how He created the earth and we should not be careless as we take care of it. To knowingly allow something to go extinct is an abuse of the responsibility He has given us. I believe that God created us all as different brances of the same tree; some people were created to be passionate about serving people, others to care for animals, others to be engineers, teachers, doctors, and missionaries. As I have been coming to understand this over the past few days, I do not feel that having the intense passion for animals that I currently have is wrong. I believe that God created me for a purpose and that purpose, as of right now, is to protect and glorify this part of His Creation. One thing to remember, though, is that there is a difference between, for example, "going green" to save the planet to benefit us and "going green" in order to glorify God and protect the creation He has given us. I need to keep this in the forefront of my mind as I progress through college and know that everything I learn and do is to praise and honor God.
But what about everyone suffering in this world? They should always take priority because they are God's people. I will continue to go on mission trips. I will continue to give financially and do what I can in the places that I am needed. Now, when I see a picture of a skinny puppy compared to a picture of a run down house, my priorities lie with God's people. My compassion goes out to them, and I want to do what I can to show them God's light and love. But I also take comfort in the fact that God created us for different purposes and to take care of different parts of His Creation. I now know where my priorities should lie and that is with the people of God, but I also now know that it is okay that God is calling me to something else.
Here are some other pictures:
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