Commitment

This month has been the months of reports for MCC and so I have been working on a report called Performance Appraisal Report. One question they asked really struck me:

In what ways does the work you do parallel your understanding of MCC’s purpose and vision statement: “Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, shares God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC envisions communities worldwide in right relationship with God, one another and creation.”

At this point and time it seems that the fruit I am bearing here is non-existent and at times it can cause you get down on yourself. Being a Secondary teacher having 13 classes spanned over three days and students up to 60 in each class and the students can only speak Lao tends to get overwhelming. But then I read things like this that tell me that is not what it is all about. Sure teaching students English is important and is a valued skill and you are helping in what ways you can, but what is more important is the other ways you are teaching them. I am teaching them love and compassion and showing that it's important to care for humans. I am teaching them what non-violence and justice are in a world where corporal punishment is the law. I am showing right relationships with students and teachers and respect. I am showing God's love and that is all that matters. 

“The more I think about the meaning of living and acting in the name of Christ, the more I realize that what I have to offer to others is not my intelligence, skill, power, influence, or connections, but my own human brokenness through which the love of God can manifest itself…hope is not based on any power to solve the problems of those with whom we live, but on the love of God, which becomes visible when we let go of our fears of being out of control and enter into His presence in a shared confession of weakness.”—Henry Neuwen”

I think coming here on this journey shows you that that is truly all that matters that we love people like God loves us. I have lately been thinking about commitment and how especially in this time in my life that this is really when you commit to something. For most people its college and a major or a certain job and though that is important is it really worth committing your life to? What really is worth committing your life to?

With this fallen world and nothing that stays constant I find it hard to commit to one thing. But what I have realized here is that there is one thing that is never changing, everlasting and all encompassing. God. And I think that is worth committing to. I want to commit to love and peace, to justice and hope. I want to commit to loving the children of the world and showing them what peace and justice and hope really is. And that is just what I will do.