If I were to ask you to think of the most favorite gift you have ever received, what would your answer be? I am sure you have quite a few just like me but if I were to name but one it would be my time in Spain. I was given the immense privilege to not only give a gift but to receive one much greater than I myself could have hoped for.
Our adventure started in Tarifa. A quaint little seaside town overlooking the glorious mountains of Morocco. Coming from a country where Christianity and Bibles are illegal to its people we now had the opportunity to reach them in a different way. Giving out Bibles as a gift to those coming into Spain was like one of those epic moments you read about in books. Where the knight in shining armor finally gets to save the damsel in distress from her high tower. Me? I was sick for half of our time there. I felt hopeless and idle and couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't some devious plan the dragon guarding that tower was plotting. I almost gave in but defeated the enemy just in time to give my gift to those who so desperately need it. The problem is, this dragon, this enemy, puts up defenses and towers all around the world and guards it with all his might so those who are in distress and need Jesus can not be reached. He tries to stop us from reaching them with feeble sickness, loneliness and irritation and tries to provoke our flesh to act before our Spirit does.
It is universally acknowledged though that the dragon has weak spots and once in a while we get to make our way past his defenses to experience God's relentless pursuit with our own eyes. Our Luke 10 started in the royal village of Aranjuez. Three companions stepped out in faith and trusted the living water to guide us. He guided us with courage and strength throughout our journey and it was on this journey where I learned giving means receiving more in return. On our way we experienced that gifts are not something you earn but something you receive with a humility and a grateful and kind heart.
A full day into our Luke 10 journey we found ourselves in the four walls of a Burger King and it was here where everything changed. It was here where I met one of my favorite gifts of all time. Their names are Yani, Ruben and Unai. Never in my time of existence has God been revealed in such a precious way as this. We met these gifts in a place of distress but left them in a place of peace and joy. They said they only believed in things they can see but in the end I believe they now trust in things unseen. I saw with my own two eyes how God pursues those He loves with extraordinary passion. It was beautiful.
The best part I have yet to reveal to you. In Luke 10:16 it says "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me" I believe with my whole heart God's pursuit of these precious gifts I now call friends, is not over yet and I believe love will win in the end and conquer their hearts to run back into the arms we call Abba Father.
Our Luke 10 journey was filled with surprises on both sides of the spectrum. God spoiled us in the best and taught us in the worst. It was all worth it though because God was good even if situations were bad. God is good all the time.
Experiencing a time of hopelessness and defeat was worth it, because of this one family. They took us in, washed our clothes, gave us something to eat and a warm bed to sleep in. The harvest was ready and we sowed the seed which we were called to do through the strength and name of Jesus. We talked about the God we love and what He inspires in us. We shared this love and unique inspiration. God's plan to defeat the dragon guarding this tower was us.
Truth be told, all of us get to be God's plan for the whole world by pointing people towards Jesus. And we don't do this by forcing Jesus on them but by letting Him pursue them through the stories we tell of His great love and pursuit of us. This is the best gift you can give to an individual, the gift of opening a window of opportunity, a gift of defeating the dragon so that they can be pursued by the knight in shining armor. In return I learned about the importance of walking humbly and loving without condition or reason. This was the truest gift I have ever received. Kindness costs nothing. Yani, Ruben and Unai my thoughts will echo your names until I see you again. I am wonderstruck. You have taught me the meaning of kindness and unconditional love and even gave me a glimpse of how much my beautiful Jesus loves me.
Through all of this I experienced a joy which encompasses all my understanding. It was a joy that endured through the good and the bad. The reason for this joy was not fixed on what we did or in what we had or received or even our circumstances , but it was fixed on the perfect person of Jesus Christ. God's will, in the end, wasn't so much about what we were doing, but the people we were meeting and the kind of people we were becoming. This taught me to hope as I have scarcely allowed myself before.
It is a time in my life I will never trade or wish away. These memories will last forever.
Spain. You yourself are a poem breathed into existence by the God of the universe. I was someone else entirely before I met you. But once I fell in love with you and the gift I received, I grew into the best version of myself. The person I am proud to be.
I know we will see each other again
Adiós Amigo
Jesus te ama