Aloha from day 5 of Hong Kong camp! Our campers arrived yesterday and what a joy to get to meet the excited shining faces of these students, many experiencing such firsts as their first plane ride, first time off mainland China, or first time to meet people not from China!
Today is the first full day and I'm so excited to see young lives transformed through this inspirational model!
My 5MC writing (not my reading) got derailed yesterday so I'll post today, let me tell you why.
It's been a tough week of serving both physically & emotionally as Marge & I have battled a very long trip, jet lag, separate living quarters, new food, new mattresses and all the comforts of home we take for granted. These things can distract you from your focus of the real purpose of why your in Hong Kong doing what you've been called to do. I'm weary. Then I wake up to an email.
Kenny Bell was one of my students and friends at Lahaina Baptist when Marge & I served in Maui for 2 years. He took a few minutes out of his day to email me & tell me what an impact I had on His life. His words were genuine, honest & touching and it brought me to tears. His words cost him nothing but it gave me everything that I was needing in an instant. Our words have power....amazing power. Power to build up or tear down. Power to encourage or power to harm. Thank you Kenny for your amazing heart and your amazing note. It catapulted me into the day & allowed me to pour into others in this camp like I couldn't have before.
Take some time today and honestly encourage someone that is on your heart, you never know what they're going through and how desparately they need your Words of love. Luke 6:45...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Share your love, it's what we're built to do.
Along these same lines I shared the other morning about having your vessel filled so that you could then pour out into others lives. I came across Luke 8:40-48 yesterday morn and saw something I had missed in prior readings. The women that has been sick for 12 years touched Jesus' garment & was healed. He then asks who touched Him. He of course was in a crowd so no one could see or tell who it might have been. This line struck me...Luke 8:46 someone touched me, for I can perceive that power has gone out from me.
I think about times in my life where I have poured so deeply into someone that it makes me feel emptied and spent. I can feel it leaving my body, the goodness that God has given me was meant for someone else, my job is to give it away. Jesus knew when the power left His body. What a curious thought to think that He would experience the same thing.
My friends you have a great task in front of you today...be filled to overflowing though His Word, prayer & obedience to Him and then pour richly into others peoples lives.
Try it unconditionally today...you'll be hooked.
Give someone you love a long, long hug today. Love you all.
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