Nothing Compares

Now that my husband and I have taken up residence in Olongapo, Philippines, I have truly experienced real rainfall. Back at home in the Midwest of the US, we had our share of rainshowers and April showers and rainfall, but it is nothing like this. Umbrellas have become a necessity. Which makes for a lot of fun for me, because I love umbrellas. Their shape, their functionality, and the fact that they keep me dry-ish in the midst of torrential downpour is nothing short of a small blessing.

I have also been reflecting and musing, since I have been under the weather these past few days and have some down time. I have thought a lot about Jim Elliot's words, words that have always rung true for me, but now they mean something more than before.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

You may be wondering, and rightly so, what umbrellas and rain have to do with such a deep and insightful quote as his, but I am a rambling writer so bear with me please. We have only been in country for one month but even in this short period of time I am realizing how very blessed even the less fortunate of Americans really are. I am coming to an understanding that I knew in my head prior to leaving, but seeing it in front of me brings it closer to home.

Our team of volunteers live on a mountainside surrounded by a scenic lush green view and filled with wonderfully fresh air. There is a river that flows by at the base of the property. Our CR, or bathroom, is at the bottom of the mountain, and it is a steep climb down a set of stairs hewn into mud and set with large rocks for support. We have an open kitchen and dining room, and we live in one-room huts. It is a simple, basic set-up. We cook using a double burner gas stove, have no refrigerator, no stove, and no dishwasher. In America, these appliances are almost taken for granted. There is not air-conditioning in our huts, but we have fans hooked up. Our essentials are all available, and we have come to enjoy the simplicity of our life here. There is something absolutely marvelous about waking up to our scenic view every morning.

There are people here in Olongapo who live in the city landfill. They sort through garbage to find items that can be cashed in and recycled. In the heat of the day, flies swarm in a black cloud and settle on everything. The people live in pieced together shanties. And they are some of the sweetest, most contented people I have ever met. When the wind and rains come, they batter down the hatches, and after the storms, they find new scraps to patch the damage.

Our earthly possessions pass away. Whatever 'status' they give us here, they mean absolutely nothing in the sense of eternity. In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about a lasting treasure:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. [Matthew 6:18-20]

And Peter echoes his sentiment:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. [1 Peter 1:7-9]

I do not feel deprived for having given up everything I had back in the States. I do not regret our decision to come to Olongapo and help Mercy In Action. The day I became a Christ follower, I denounced everything else, and I can honestly say that nothing else compares to the greatness of knowing Him. So with Jim Elliot, I too will give what I cannot keep to gain that what I cannot lose. In the last book of the Bible, in the final chapter, it reads:

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. [Revelation 21:7]

So maybe I lived under an 'umbrella' in the states in the sense that I was sheltered from hardship and had a plethora of possessions. And now, in a sense, that umbrella has been lifted. I may not have as much here as I did there, but I am the richer for it. Christ has opened up my heart to love even more. That is the funny thing about love, it keeps expanding. Just when you think you have reached the limit, you see a whole new level and come to realize that it is limitless. This is the love of Christ, and it knows no bounds.

And so we are pressing onwards and upwards to the high calling of Jesus Christ on the path that He has shown us. My husband and I set off on this journey together, and we do not know where we will wind up. But we do know this, that we are following Christ, and we desire to honor him above anything else. To whatever end.