Open Hands & Open Doors

I admit that before I went on this mission trip, I really didn't pay much attention to less fortunate people in my own city, let alone those in another country. Yes, sure, I give financially to some local organizations, serve my community here & there, and give time and money to my church. But I've never really checked-in emotionally to this demographic of people. Frankly, I get caught up in the "I have enough work taking care of my own (fill-in-blank)". It is crazy, how little my world had gotten...my friends knows how much I joke about living in "the bubble" of our own zip code.

My eyes flung open within a few minutes of hanging w/ the kids at the 1st orphanage...


It was nothing that was said, but just an overwhelming change of heart and perspective, seeing and experiencing life outside my cozy little world...seeing my own kids in the faces, and high-5s, and embraces of these orphan kids...


I realized while walking away from that 1st orphanage, that I wanted Payton (my 7 yr old) to start grasping, right now, that his life is much bigger than just his own cushy little world. Stacy made a little 20-page picture book to bring with me, filled with pics of her and the boys. I carried it in my backpack, which I ended up taking w/ me everywhere we went. At Jumecourt Orphanage, a couple of the boys asked if I was married or had kids. So I grabbed my book to show them...they loved looking at the pics, laughing at some of the silly pics of the boys. I caught the sarcasm in the 11 year old's tone (in the red shirt) when he asked "THIS is YOUR wife?!?!"...


They were asking me about Payton (how old he was, and if he liked to play soccer). I told them how I was going to one day bring Payton down there with me. And I asked them to say hi to my boy on video, to start Payton's journey of getting outside of just his world of 1st grade, and video games, and "stuff"...



It was pretty easy to get jarred out of my world down there (no cell phone does that pretty swiftly). But it's not like a mission trip to Haiti, or anywhere else, is the only path to discovering how life is way bigger than our own limited perspectives. I've wasted years being lazy & selfish at the crossroads of a situation where I could have helped someone in a big way...b/c I wasn't paying attention enough to even know I was wearing blinders that kept me from seeing how much more to life there is than just my own (fill-in-blank-here).

Check out this quick video...



This cozy little world we create for ourselves can be a pretty exciting adventure when we pay attention, and ask for open hands and open doors.