Where is your treasure?

Recently, I  dedicated my spring break to God. Spring break is a time that most college students look forward to relaxing, getting caught up, or even parties in Mexico. But God has something a little different planned for myself and 7 others. We traveled to St. Louis Missouri. We took this plunge to learn about ourselves, our community, our cities, and even our God. This was the second time that I took this trip and I was unsure about how it would play out. I had a million and a half questions going into it. What will I learn? Why am I going? How will I be changed? All of these questions were quickly silenced one day right before the trip. God came to me, I was desperate for answers, and all he said was "Go!" Said with an attitude of "come and see." So I went.

What my team and I did in St. Louis
We got to attend a very diverse and multicultural church. We got to live in community. We got to experience and live in the inner city. We got to learn about God's burning heart for justice. We got to experience different cultures foods and traditions. We were taken care of by a family that truly exemplifies hospitality. We got to worship God through dancing, and singing in Swahili with Congolese refugees. Experienced God in a way we never expected. Established lasting friendships. Got to follow Gods will to change ourselves and our campus.

As you can see the trip was loaded, it went by so fast however. On Thursday, the last day before the trip ended I was waiting to see what I was going to bring back to my campus. Last year, I had a good idea of how I needed to change, and how I needed to change my campus by the first few days. But this year the end of the trip was drawing near, and I found myself still confused. I have a heart of these people. I knew the statistics. I had prayed for the pain. What was the big thing I was missing? How was I going to change my campus?

My service project involved working with kids ages 3 through 13 to make Pinewood Derby cars. A simple car that is cut out of a block of wood. On Thursday I set up a section of the race track. The students were going to have a school wide race on Friday, and I wanted to give the kids the chance to practice racing their car. There was one boy who refused to race is car. He was just sitting in the corner playing with it. I went over to Issac and asked him why he didn't want to race. He told me that this little pinewood derby car was so special to him. He told me that it was the only toy that was all his. That he spent time and effort on it, and it was very special to him. He didn't want to race it because he wanted to take it home and show his parents and play with it.

This boy was attending a private school, and I assumed that he was much more blessed than some of the other children in this city. This little piece of wood with wheels meant so much to him. He truly cherished it. Scripture about a man finding a pearl of great value, and selling everything to buy it. Or the man and the treasure in the field. What were my treasures? It dawned it my in that instant. No booming word of God. No flash of light. No mind exploding moment. In this simple conversation with a 5 year old I realized I was a slave.

A slave to money and my possessions. I began to think about how hard it would be to give up some of the things I was blessed with. I mean perhaps if commanded by Jesus himself, but I hold on to these things so tight, it would pain me to give them up. I no longer own my things, they own me. They have consumed me and warped my view of value. The things that are important to me, and that are valuable to me, will all fade to dust one day. Nothing I own can outlast eternity. But God, Scripture, Jesus, these things that I push aside sometimes, will outlast eternity.

Such a upside down Kingdom aspect. The things that are priceless are given as a gift. Things that have no value cost me the most. So that is what I took with me to my home and to my campus. It was hard at first and honestly, it still is. I came home with a support structure of 7 people who care about me and have been praying and providing me with advice. But now I am even better equip to share the Gospel. Because some of the best news I have heard in a while is that life everlasting, something so completely priceless is offered to us for free. If you don't wanna take my word for it, contact a financial adviser or accountant. But in my opinion, the most profitable deal of a lifetime is presented to you right now. I think you should take it!