Addicted to Easy

I'm addicted to easy. In Mexico, many many things were easy and it is now I come back into the hard, harsh life of busy. Some of you may have questions. Isn't a mission trip supposed to be hard? Isn't it supposed to drive some unexpected growth amidst spiritual warfare and open your eyes to the despair of economic and social poverty? Throw in a little fear here, a little self-doubt there . . . how can it be anything but hard?

It seems an almighty offense to call the Gospel easy to live. But what I found out in Mexico was that God knew what He was saying when He speaks of the value of vulnerable community, the body of Christ working together, being of one mind and spirit, and ultimately living for the love of God and the love of others and sharing the Truth that rescues.


I was struck by how fulfilling it is to live in such a way, focusing exclusively on relationships.


Now, I come back and am bombarded by the busyness of school. Dare I say school is a necessary evil? No, no . . . it is a gift from God, though I believe the system is broken (yes, even in my Christian school) in many ways. It is a blessing to learn of what God has created and revealed to people, but we are motivated by the wrong things, driven by grades and success.

How hard it is to keep in mind the mission of life--abiding in Christ--while deadlines and busyness rule the world.

I hunger and thirst for righteousness--the righteousness of Christ piercing through the darkness of our busy American lives and restoring focus on Himself and on building relationships with others. So many times, we saw others forsake their schedules simply to spend time with us in Mexico. Graciousness abounded and the love of Christ flourished like opening blossoms in the spring. I struggle to find how to live this kind of life in a culture that demands a schedule and punishes you if you spend too much time on relationships and not on responsibilities.

Restore our broken lives, God. We are just as broken as the orphans and widows in Mexico, simply in different ways. I see now how easy it is to love when I am not limited by a task-driven schedule. Oh my gracious Savior, show us how to live this easy Gospel love in this world. I'm struggling. I'm struggling. I'm struggling, because I've tasted and seen that You are good . . . and now I am addicted to easy.