I recently watched a
video that was put together as a way for the people of Japan to say "Thank You" to all who helped their country recover from the devastation they experienced in March of 2011. The video is stunning - a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that wiped out nearly everything in it's path. Hundreds of thousands lost their homes, but even more tragic was the loss of life. Nearly 4000 people are still missing.
After watching the video I began, once again, to look at the world with different eyes. Catastrophes like this have a way of shocking our senses and changing our perspective on things. Suddenly, we can appreciate in a whole new light the things that we once took for granted. The daily grind can beat us down and force us back into a sort of
survival mode where life seems like a struggle just to keep our heads above water. I know the feeling well.
It is gripping.
Recently, a good friend of mine revealed to me his philosophy on how to live successfully with purpose and he challenged me to apply it to my own life. In the last few months, life has been difficult for me as I have wrestled with chronic pain and bouts of depression. Gradually I'm coming to a better place, but when my friend shared this key to living well, I knew my game plan was lacking.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52 ESV)
There it is. Sounds simple enough, but if you put emphasis on any one of those things, some other area of your life will suffer.
Wisdom. It's necessary to pursue knowledge and gain wisdom. Knowledge is powerful and wisdom will keep you out of some sticky situations.
Stature. More than just good posture, stature is overall physical fitness. This can come in handy if you need to run for your life!
Favor with God and man. This speaks of relationships. Where would you be without meaningful relationships? You can be in a room full of people and still be lonely - nurture your relationships.
It's important to strike a balance between all these elements of our lives; if one thing takes priority over another, something else suffers. Without proper diet and exercise, our overall health (stature) can turn south. Likewise, if you become obsessed with building a successful career, relationships with friends and family will suffer. Probably your health too.
So what does any of this have to do with the tsunami in Japan?
Everything. Imagine it was you who had your home with all your belongings washed away. All you have left is what you know, your health, and the relationships with your loved ones. There in that moment I can guarantee that you won't say "I sure wish I had spent more time at the office!". No, your relationships will be all you have and you would cling to your loved ones as you begin to try and put the pieces back together again.
All this reflection caused me to remember one of the most powerful moments in my life. I like to think of it an
eternal moment. It took place when our family was in Honduras with a group from Compassion Canada during a visit to the home of a family with a Compassion-sponsored child. This young couple was fortunate because dad had a decent job, but their home was nothing more than a simple little shack. What they did have was an abundance of love. You could see it in their eyes. They were also committed followers of Jesus Christ and had grown
"in favor with God and man".
A "home visit" on a Compassion tour always involves a gift for the family. We brought food and supplies with us but I couldn't help feeling like I wanted to do more. I could feel the presence of God in this home in such a tangible way, but somehow I wanted to fix their situation to make it better. They were so happy to have us visit and were grateful for the family gift. I was uncomfortable but didn't quite know why. Then it happened. Just as we were about to leave, the father turned to me and said some words in Spanish. They were spoken with such conviction. I turned to the translator who then said, "He says he will see you in heaven." It was then that I knew why I was so uncomfortable. I had enough to build ten houses like the one we were standing in, but this man had a love for God and an unshakeable faith that was so vibrant I was almost embarrassed.
When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time you become aware that God is enough. - Maude Royden
As we were leaving, the oldest son came to the window to wave good bye. This was a meeting I will never forget. The family that seemed to have so little, were wealthy in faith, love and relationships. If a hurricane were to sweep their house away tomorrow, they would be far better off than most of us at starting over again. I can tell you that the people on the other side of the world in Japan who have discovered this approach to life would demonstrate the same resolve. Without God, there is no hope. Without hope, there is no future. It is my prayer that you embrace Luke 2:52 for yourself and live a life filled with eternal moments.
