Potential
The team was so incredibly productive today, and it really got me excited about the rest of the week. First we had to dig out a bunch of bushes around In His Steps property because they were going to die from the run-off from the roof. We had to dig out all of the bushes after digging new holes a few inches out. And because the weather forecast promised rain, we wanted to get as much done as possible. So we dug our holes and made sure they were the right size. Some of the holes needed to be worked on with a pick-axe because the clay was so hard, and that was a really fun tool to use. I got to work with most everyone on that project, which was really great since it gave me a chance to get to know everyone.
Around 1pm, we decided to have lunch and just when we got inside it began down-pouring and thundering and lightning. Our freshly dug holes were filled to the top in minutes by rainwater. We weren't sure if there were any indoor projects because we certainly did not want to waste a day of work.
My half of the team, (Christy, Nick, Lauren, and Caroline), got to go to a house and do a project there. We visited an elderly woman of 90 and her 50 or so year old daughter who lived in the same house. We had to go in and put sheet rock into the ceiling because the ceiling was falling apart. So we got all of the crown molding down from the borders, then took all of the stray nails out. There were a bunch of old tiles there as well that needed to get rid of because there were barely any left. We then lifted the sheet rock up and screwed it into the ceiling, making the dark room a lot brighter. The house we were in had wallpaper on the walls, but much of it had also come off, leaving the dirty pink paint underneath exposed. The dust that had accumulated was astonishing. There were little things everywhere and picture frames hung unevenly on the walls.
All in all, the house was not the type of house I would see on a day to day basis. But what surprised me was that one room that you could not really see was a lovely, well- furnished living room. It had beautiful couches and furniture and it was obviously well-kept. And it amazed me that there was such beauty in that one room, but not necessarily in the rest of the house.
The house reminded me a lot of missions because there was a lot that was not lovable. However, once you searched a little more, you discovered something truly beautiful. Amidst all of the things that are not what people want to see, was something that should have been on display. There was obvious potential in that house, and they utilized it.
It's the same with people: there may be a lot that you do not like, but you have to be willing to see where something beautiful is. You have to be patient, wait, and work to see potential. It is just as much about the people you serve and their attitude as well as your own outward image.
A Christian worldview should see past what human eyes see and open to see what God sees. He saw potential in us, so He sent His Son to die on a cross for us. He believed that there was potential and He saw through our ugly sins and sent His Son to show that we were and are forgiven. It shows that because God saw something in us, we should see something in each other. Who else is better to see potential in a fallen human than another fallen human? My God saw the potential we have, we should certainly humble ourselves to the same view. Leave all the judgements behind and look for the potential that other people have. Look deeper than the human eye does and see the potential that lies in your brothers and sisters.
:{This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.}: - 1 John 3:16 (NIV)
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