Grateful for what is to come
What have I learned from my experience from Guatemala? Well, I learned that you can fit more people in the back of a pickup truck standing up than sitting down, and a one lane road is really a two lane road and a two lane a three (sometimes four) lane road.
But in all seriousness, spending six weeks in Guatemala was not as easy as I thought it would be. Living with ten other girls as an introvert, taking “military showers” (many of which were cold), sleeping on a super thin mattress that would be similar to sleeping on carpet, and waking up at 5:30am to go to work, come home, get ready for dinner, eat, devo, bed, on repeat. And lastly, saying goodbye to the people you spent time building relationships with not knowing if you will ever see them again.
As I was lying in bed my first night regretting the decision of committing myself to this summer, I was reminded of how low Jesus came down to serve us. He came from Heaven which is so much grander than anything I could ever imagine to a sin filled Earth. He also came in prehistoric times, when there was no air conditioning or clean running water, and people slept on dirt floors. Jesus could’ve easily came to our time zone right now so he can at least receive some of the comfort we offer, but no, God chose to come down and live in what we would now call “poverty.”
Knowing this brought comfort, and after seeing the circumstances Marta and her girls were living in, I immediately became ashamed at the fact I even complained to God about my circumstances. I saw how selfish I am even when I don’t think I am being selfish. I reminded myself when things got aggravating and uncomfortable, that this is not about me. It was never about me and never will be about me; I give up my comfort so others can find comfort. I lay myself down so others can be brought up. It’s about Jesus and always will be about Jesus. It’s about what He has done for me and many others, and what He is doing for our family and other Guatemalans.
Marta and her daughters have taught me so much about gratefulness. “Gracias” was the most common word in our daily vocabulary from the moment our team met Marta and the girls to the moment we said our goodbyes. Marta is living in a small, cramped shack that consists of her queen size bed she shares with her two girls, two tables with a small shelf they store all their belongings on, and the concrete and tools our team have been using to build their new home. Despite all the craziness that has been going on around her and her living situations, I have never heard her say a complaint. Instead, she has poured out her gratitude to God and us. Even when all 15 of us were cramped into her little shack because of the rain, she was full of joy and gratefulness.
Marta and her daughters were grateful because they were getting a two story home; also because they received a love they were never able to receive because of who they are, Mayan women. Wouldn’t we all be grateful if we were getting a home that’s way better than our current home? And wouldn’t we also be grateful to have a new relationship with someone who accepts us when everyone else looks down on us and rejects us? But this is what Marta’s focus was on: her future. She was not focused on her past, no matter how much it has negatively affected her present. She was focused on the good God has set in store for her, which is a new home, schooling for her girls, tutoring for all three of them, a new job, and new positive relationships. We may not have this long list of what God is doing in our lives as Marta does, but we can trust in the fact that God is always working behind the scenes preparing us and others for the plans He has for us.
I learned that when I am focused on what my current circumstances are, I can’t be grateful for what God is going to do. Just as with Marta, God has so much more for you and me than what we are currently experiencing. Whether if it is good, bad, or awesome. God always has more. And may we always be grateful for what is to come!
Olivia Muse
Para Servir Intern