Pampered…

A couple of delays landed us in Amsterdam after our connecting flight had left for Africa.  So, we have some 22 hours here, courtesy of KLM.  Rose and I have had mixed feelings about this.  The 30 hour journey is long, so to break it up isn’t all bad.  However, we will have to condense our itinerary, which makes things troublesome for our hosts in Tanzania.

Another issue, which usually strikes folks after returning, has welled up in my soul today – namely, how pampered we are here.  The good folks at KLM put us up in a nice hotel.  What’s more, this is a culture of excellent hospitality, so we’re eating yummy foods and staying in clean rooms.  I have some guilt about that.  This is partially rooted in knowing where we are going.  It is also rooted in my enjoying it so much!

I could dialogue for hours on this one… I know Pastor Rhonda enjoys meeting with folks who travel on mission trips to talk this (among other) issues through.  At the end of the day, this world is not fair.  God does not call us to be miserable.  We, who have much, are burdened with guilt.

But I also want to be clear… we do not (or at least, should not) serve out of our guilt.  We serve not because we feel guilty over what we have and that we are pampered.  I can say with much certainty that I haven’t experienced this in our group at all.  We serve because God calls us to be in a reciprocal relationship with our brothers and sisters of Tanzania.  We have much and give.  They have so much more (gifts of faith and love) that they give to us.

In the grand scheme of God’s grace, this is enough.  Life isn’t fair.  I just wish I had their faith…

Peace,
Pastor Greg