Taking the time

While being in the Philippines my team and I have been able to have a wide range of ministry opportunitites.
 
From hanging out with teenagers in trouble with the law, to going to a refuge village created in 2009 for families that have lost their loved ones and homes, playing with beautiful children at Destiny’s Promise orphanage, being able to have a weekly bible study with women in prostitution, spending Wednesday and Thursday nights with street kids, becoming friends with women who make bracelets through the organization Threads of Hope, going to the Antipolo Woman’s Prison every week for a bible study that always ends in a dance party and of course the 24/7 time with my incredible 20 Filipino brothers at Children’s Garden.
 
All of these ministry opportunities have blessed my life more than I could ever explain, so this past week has been very hard because of the teary filled goodbyes.  Each day we had to say goodbye to a different ministry.
 
At the prison this week we all wrote a letter to the women explaining how much we have learned from them, how much they have blessed our lives, and truly changed our hearts.
Some of the women wrote us a letter and stood up sharing how we have impacted their lives. Not expecting any of this my eyes filled up with tears, along with my teammates.
Every time a woman in the prison would stand up she would explain how much it meant to them that we spent time with them. Every week we were there to have a bible study, talk, listen to their stories, answer questions, dance, cry and laugh with them. But above everything that we shared and did together the fact that we took time out of our lives to see them every week meant the most.
 
The same exact thing happened when we said goodbye to the street kids, to the women in prostitution as well as the Threads of Hope women. All of them were touched and appreciated the time we spent with them.
 
Time is always something so precious to us all. Not only precious but also something that is hard for us to give up. If were being honest here we all get stuck in our daily routines that we forget to take a moment and take time for our loved ones or someone that we all know needs encouragement and love.
 
As a human, one of the best feelings for all of us is when someone takes time out of their day just to listen and catch up on things going on in your life.
 
Just like Jesus.
 
Jesus ALWAYS took time to stop.
 
Jesus took time to stop and listen.
 
 
Jesus took time out of his VERY busy schedule for those who are considered “The least of these” like in Matthew 25.
 
Taking time as small as a thing as that may seem has more of an impact than you can ever know. Like right now while you are reading this blog you can call someone who you know is going through a hard time and simply listen. Right now you can call a friend that you haven’t heard from in a while, or a relative. Grab lunch, coffee, anything. Even take time for someone you don’t know. Or even right now you can take time just talking to God.
 
When we sacrifice our time to God’s powerful control he will bless us with incredible people that we never would of thought to bless our lives so much.