Walking down a long, dusty road in the northwestern region of Haiti, I looked out at the tiny cement-block houses brightly painted in shades of turquoise, yellow or cantaloupe. You could see row after row of tinned-roof homes surrounded by fences of barbed wire and waist-high cacti.
I watched women in knee-length skirts walk by gracefully balancing mounds of supplies atop their heads and young children race past me carrying large, empty cartons to be filled with water.
From the outside, the village felt a world away, but in every home I visited, I encountered brothers and sisters in Christ with some similar joys and struggles as friends and church family back in the states.
I met a wife concerned about her husband’s health, a widower trying to raise his kids on his own, a man struggling to find work and feed his family, a mother holding a newborn child, a parent saddened that their eldest child is moving out, teenagers dreaming of the future, an elderly man reflecting on God’s goodness…
In each home, I heard of their common desire to serve God and remain steadfast in their faith, despite difficult circumstances. I was reminded that no matter how different our lives appear in our Earthly circumstances, we are all connected as brothers and sisters in Christ– and whatever your background or financial situation, God has placed within each of His children a unique ability to share the love and Hope of our Father.
Whether it be through an act of kindness, a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a monetary donation, volunteering time or lifting someone up in prayer, we all have the power to reach out and do something as part of a global church.
As believers, we have the distinct privilege to share our God-given gifts and not just impact lives in the present but be a part of something that will echo into eternity. We can use our time, our talent and financial provision, or “treasure” to bless others and reflect the love of our Heavenly Father who became flesh among us to model this kind of servant-heartedness.
And as we begin to find opportunities to serve, like Jesus, what at first seems small becomes a legacy of a lifetime or an entire church, using the unique giftings God has placed within each of us to impact the world for His glory.
