When I was preparing for the mission trip this year, I admittedly had a few reservations. I was worried that it would go like the last one, not meeting anyone and feeling like I got little out of it. Now, I understand that no act is too small when we are acting as God’s hands and feet, but I just felt like I was seeking more connection with people in need. So going into this, I really wasn’t expecting much, but I was more than pleasantly surprised.
Not only did I finally get the chance to work with kids who needed love, but I was able to experience a whole new kind of service than I was used to. My first day of work involved ATL (ask the Lord) and working at the food bank. The two days I worked at the two were amazing. ATL taught me so much about how I can ask God to talk to me and how many different ways I can receive an answer. The food bank was hot and sweaty one day and frigid cold the other, but I found myself enjoying every second I spent working there. It was tough work, lifting 20-30 pound boxes, but we made it fun. They played music and sang (no matter how bad we were) and had fun together, even if it was 3 groups mixed into one. We even managed to package over 13,000 pounds of food total, which could feed over 10,000 people. I was beginning to feel like I was finally making a difference.
The other two days in which we worked were served at Lexington Gardens, an apartment complex just a little outside of Nashville. There we met so many kids who really just needed us to show them love. In particular, I met a girl who just really grabbed my heart. When I first met her, she was extremely shy, and mumbled when she talked. By the end of my first day there, she had opened up. She was screaming at her brothers, racing around playing with everyone, and reaching to grab onto me almost constantly. Over the course of the two days I spent with her, I was able to coax her out of the shell she had been in and gotten myself a little monkey who constantly wanted to ride on my shoulders (I’ll have you know I have been sore all over from last week). Being able to teach all those kids about Christ was unbelievable and helping them to experience love was a gift I was so very glad to give.
My experience in Nashville this year was simply amazing. Other than the two mentioned above, one opportunity that stands out in my mind was when our group took a trip to The Bridge. Now if you don’t know what this is, you need to go experience it. The Bridge is just that, a bridge, but with one marked difference; every Tuesday evening they hold a worship service there. This service comes with a time of worship and singing, a sermon, and a meal for any who need it. It is open to any, but the main people who come are homeless. So, you think “Oh they’re just coming for the free food and supplies, right?” Wrong. Those people really know how to worship. People went to the front and told unbelievable stories of hardship and pain, but they show their intense love of God through all of it and come out with beautiful success stories. You really don’t know how to worship until you go under a bridge with hundreds of incredibly joyful homeless people who sing their hearts out in order to glorify the God they love so very much. I didn’t meet one person there who blamed Him for the cards they were dealt, they just all seemed so happy to be able to worship alongside their friends and family. After the service, several of the groups were split up to hand out supplies to those in need. I couldn’t even count how many times I heard “Bless you” as they came along. Every single one of them were so very thankful to receive our help and we were more than happy to give it to them. Going to experience The Bridge was something I will never forget as it has forever changed how I view truly loving our Lord.
Photo credit: aaronallison.com
After my time in Nashville, I feel like I’ve definitely taken a huge step forward. Before the trip, I felt sort of lukewarm, like I wasn’t really giving my all to God. But after all the things I saw and felt over the course of the week, I feel like I’m really starting to trust what He shows me, even if at first I don’t really understand. When we did ATL, we performed an activity in which some of us kept our eyes closed as the rest sat in front of a single person. We had to reach out to God in order to tell us what to do or say. As I sat and prayed, I felt this overwhelming sadness come over me. It was inexplicable, I felt like I really just wanted to bawl my eyes out I was so sad. I never got words specifically, but the feeling that washed over me cannot be explained other than as a communication from God. This just proved to me that I don’t have to wait on a clear message or words, but that in time I will find the way in which God wants to talk with me. As I finish this out I just want to lay out a word of advice: don’t let your misconceptions hinder what could be a great movement in your life, allow God to move you where He wants you to go. Don’t be afraid to feel uncomfortable sometimes, we aren’t supposed to always stay in our comfort zones as followers of Christ. Finally, go on a mission trip, experience these new ways of life, but also bring it home, take what you learn back to your community and start acting there as well. Thank you so much.
Megan, Thank you for sharing your heart. Your life has been touched and changed forever. This is the way we grow in our walk of faith. He will takes us where He wants/needs us to go if we continue to be willing and surrendered. I pray that you use the power and influence that God has given to make a difference in the world. Blessings