Mexico: Saturday the 27th

so we got in late the night before, at 2:00am, to the church where we were staying.  we slept in the main (and only) room in the building.  girls on one side.  guys on the other.  most people had air mattresses or foam pads that they slept on.  i spent every night on one of those pool rafts that you can buy for 99 cents.  it was great!

the next day, saturday, was our first work day at Simplicio’s house.  we arose a little after 7am and several of us went for a walk around the neighborhood.  it felt very similar to Peru (i went 2 Christmas breaks ago) with perpendicular running dirt roads, trash lining the streets, very dry, and poor living conditions as far as housing goes.  i remember while we were going for our walk just thinking and praying about the excitement i was feeling for our trip, the work we were doing, our team, and different relationships that would arise.  i had this feeling that God was going to do a good work through us and through this process do a good work in us!  my prayer that morning consisted of “God, may we be one with You and in You in a way that is radical, real, and powerful. Amen!”

once we got to the house i found out that Simplicio and his wife had 9 kids living in about a 300sq ft house, about 12X24, made of bricks.  on the outside of the entrance door frame, they have written “Dios es Amor,” which means “God is Love.”  i was very impacted by this.  now, one of our goals for the trip was to add an entire addition on to their home, doubling its size.  therefore, we started right away laying down the bricks and mortar.  everyone was working well together, getting to know each other, and working hard to get the walls built.  it was great to see many of the students that went on the trip developing a good connection with Simplicio’s children.  this ended up leading to a slight break from work and a game of soccer (futbol) with several of us and Simplicio’s children.  it was so much fun. and yes, they whooped us!

i wrote at the end of the day that “i blew and opportunity.”  one of my prayers going into the trip was that i would not get too caught up in the work we were doing and overlook the relational opportunities that i would have with various people that we met.  while we were at Simplicio’s house, right after lunch, i went to go get more water to drink.  a few of his children were standing by the water cooler and it was an amazing opportunity to engage in conversation (at least attempt) with them and step out of my comfort zone.  instead, i just simply said hello and walked away.  this bugged me for the rest of the day.  how could i have blown a great opportunity to love them and relate to them?  i let my fear of the language barrier and my doubts get the best of me.

later that night i was reading through John 13.  a couple of the verses, 34-35, states, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  i knew that i needed to love others and push myself out of my comfort zone in order to show them the love that Christ showed for me on the Cross, in a very relational way.  this is my prayer the rest of the evening and trip.  “help me to love as Christ loves and to pursue relationships whole-heartedly. Amen!”  after all, Dios es Amor.

Mexico

i have just returned from a missions trip to San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico with a group of 30 people.  this was an intergenerational trip, which made it incredibly special on a number of levels.  i will talk about many of the dynamics of the trip in upcoming post.

i kept a daily journal of things that took place on the trip and many things that i felt God speaking to me throughout the experience.  every few days i will write a new post that will talk about these things that occurred each day on the trip.

for now, you can check out the trip blog: www.rivertreemexico.wordpress.com

Dios es Amor

What Causes This?

a couple weeks ago, Rivertree took a bunch of middle school students on a weekend retreat.  it was called Refuel.  a chance for the students to obviously have fun, but also a chance to hear from God and “refuel”.

now, i work with high school students.  middle school students are of an entirely different nature than high school students, but that is really besides the point.  i have a fairly decent idea of what high school students are dealing with now-a-days, as i am only 22 (not that far removed). also because, i hang out with high school students.  i am fairly aware of the temptations they face, the pressures they are under, and most dynamics in between that make up the two, aforementioned.

i had the opportunity to go on this retreat over the weekend and hang out with the middle school students.  i thought i had a fairly decent idea about what “baggage” (temptations or pressures) that the middle school students face, seeing as how high school students are not that much older.  i couldn’t be more wrong.  they deal with some serious issues.  anything from miserable family situations, to drugs, to drinking, to belonging pressure, even to SEX!  and it is important to note that i only had a weekend with them, so i am not, by any means, deeply invested in their lives yet (i will be hanging with a good chunk of them next year as 8th grade moves up).  therefore, it is not fair to gauge fully what is going on in their lives.  those things i mentioned were things i either heard them talking about over the weekend, or in talking with other leaders, found out from them.

saturday night, i know it’s the typical “cry night” at retreats.  but this was slightly different.  it was very simple, not playing the emotion game.  what was moving was that it was silent and that the students finally had a chance to listen and be still.  they didn’t have their ipods, or their ipods touches, or cell phones.  it was just them, by themselves, before God.

i walked around while the students were praying, many of them were moved to tears.  i spotted a guy, probably about 6th grade, sitting in the corner of a couch, knees curled up to his chin, arms around his shins, and completely shaking.  i stood there for a little bit, then decided to go over to him.  i asked him if there was anything he wanted to talk about and he shook his head “no.”  then, i asked if i could sit beside him and he shook his head “yes.”  so i sat down and put my arm around him.  he leaned his head into my shoulder and continued sobbing and shaking.  i continued to sit there, holding him, for about a half hour or so, not saying anything, just praying for him and wondering “what causes this”?  what causes a student, no older than 6th grade, to have so much crap going on, and so much emotional baggage, that they are brought to the point of shaking and trembling?  what causes this?

students lives, our lives for that matter, can be and are such a mess.  family situations are rough, school situations are rough, trying to fit in is rough.  students need someone to love them and care for them.  students need someone to be Christ for them and to do life with them.  we may not know what causes this, but i think the effect is where the biggest role can be played.  prayer never hurts either!

Just War Paper

recently, in my ethics class at malone, i was asked to write a paper on one of the topics that we discussed thus far.  i chose the topic of just war and whether or not there is ever a cause great enough to go to war.  in one of my final paragraphs i wrote from a perspective that i personally feel is most important in this debate.  here is one of the final paragraphs i wrote for this paper. please give me your thoughts.

However, the Last Resort, for a Christian should not be merely seeking after all of the peaceful alternatives, but the Christ Kingdom alternative.  It is important to ask the question when going to war, how will going forth in this war advance the Kingdom of God here on earth?  For a religion that worships and follows a Divine man who could have used force to bring about justice for the wrong He endured, even after all the peaceful alternatives were well used up, He went to the cross in the ultimate act of sacrifice.  This is the same religion that has honored the martyr over the warrior.  This is also the same religion that Peter the Apostle follows when he states in his letter,

“But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps…he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:20-23). 

It is in the suffering where the good is found.  For the Christian, it is following Christ and the willingness to sacrifice oneself, instead of sacrificing another’s life, where the good life is truly found.  It is never in war where Christ’s Kingdom is found.

Listening

i am currently 21 years old.

there are many forms of listening in this world.  there is a listening, as in the silence of the moment.  there is a listening to someone pour their heart out.  there is a listening with an expected response.  there is a listening for wisdom or knowledge benefit.

i enjoy observing different things that go on in life.  i enjoy observing conversations (as weird as that may seem).

one of the things that i have observed, while observing conversations, in a church (or maybe just “Christian”) setting is that when someone asks a question, or proposes a problem to someone else, it seems that it is expected that the person whom the question or problem is proposed to should respond with some type of words of wisdom. 

after the question or problem is proposed, with an expected wisdom response, what i have witnessed (most of the time) is a real wisdom filled response, or suggestion, as to how to handle the question or problem. 

i have listened to this and i have observed this on a number of occasions.

i know i am currently 21.  i have experienced only a short life so far.  i feel as though i have much more wisdom to obtain than i have to give, right now.

there are moments in my life and situations where i have had people come to me seeking some kind of wisdom.  however, for the most part i have enjoyed observing and listening to the “wisdom” conversations that i have encountered.  i feel that part of my role right now is to do more listening than talking. i have a great deal to learn and a great deal to grow into.  i feel extremely blessed to be surrounded by such wise people that speak words of truth on a regular basis.  and i am trying to listen to them.  to learn from them. to grow from their words.  to gain from their experiences. 

i enjoy this listening phase right now.  part of me knows, and definitely hopes, that the listening phase will never end.  i think if the listening ends, then the growing ends with it. 

if the opportunities present themselves to speak to someone, or if someone approaches me, then i will do what i can to speak words of truth into their life.  but for now i find enjoyment in the listening and the learning that comes from it.

People

i am thankful for people in my life.  i am thankful for a fiancee that pushes me in my relationship with God and who i get to spend the rest of my life with. i am thankful for a family that loves me and supports me.  i am thankful for a future family, once i marry Becca, that has welcomed me with open arms. i am thankful for friends that have always been by my side. i am thankful for people at the church that speak words of truth.

this week i have been taking time to try and reflect on the people that have shaped me and continue to shape me in my life. i am so wonderfully blessed to have the relationships i have.

who are these people in your life? how have they shaped you? do you realize the blessing God has given you through relationships?

thank you very much to everyone who has played some role in my life and have made an impact on me in some capacity!

Needs vs. Wants

we all desire objects and have things that we want. whether it be clothes, games, technology, food, etc., etc.  everyday we are faced with the question of our needs versus our wants.  as a Christian, i feel it is important to weigh in on the option if the things i want align with what Christ wants for me.  i struggle with this quite a bit to be honest and it’s something i need to work at.  but here is a story i found out about…

there’s this lady that i know. she is kind hearted and very gentle.  she seems to always put others before herself.  i have learned a lot about grace and patience from her. 

i found out that this lady was interested in getting into the iPod world for Christmas. she looked at the nano’s and she even looked at the iPod touch.  she figured she could use it while she exercised, or she could get an adapter to plug it into the home stereo, or she could eventually get a car adapter and use it there.  she could get all her favorite songs that she loves to listen to in one organized music player.  it would last her and she would probably enjoy it a great deal.

this lady then found out that there was someone from her church that was a single parent and struggling for money.  so instead of using the money to get an iPod for Christmas, this lady decided to be Christ to this other person.  She ended up weighing her options and came across the conclusion that this other person’s needs come first, over her wants.  so she gave the $200 she was going to use for her iPod to this lady that probably could use it more. 

she doesn’t have her iPod. but i really don’t think she cares. that’s just who she is. 

her heart is compassionate and her walk with God is strong. her wants are in touch with what the God of the Universe wants for her (and others). 

it was a great lesson for me in my battle with the things i want and desire. it’s crazy to think about the people around that i can help if i can just get over my selfish wants.

Strength

i have been sick for the last couple days.  i dislike being sick for a few reasons: a.) i feel useless b.) i simply don’t feel well and c.) i feel weak.  i guess useless and weakness may go hand-in-hand.  however, the idea of being weak is the worst for me.  i can’t stand the feeling of not being able to do certain things and that achy, strengthless feeling that you get.  it took me quite a bit of energy yesterday to get out of the room and make my way to subway in attempts to get something on my stomach.  i think this dislike in being weak and not being strong (i’m kind of a lanky dude to begin with) comes from me wanting to be in control of situations.

 i often find myself relying on my own strength in many life situations.  as a result, i tend to get overwhelmed or even let myself down.  i try to be in control.  i want to know what is going to happen next. 

i am getting married in june to becca and i am excited beyond all belief.  but right now there are many uncertainties, such as where i will be working, where she will be working, where we will be living, etc., etc.  i don’t like this feeling.  i’m not in control. i’m not strong.

i’ve been thinking over the couple days that i’ve been sick why i feel entitled to be in control; to have all the strength?  cause the truth is i am not in control.  i don’t control the sun or the rotation of the planets around it.  i don’t control the ocean tide.  i don’t control the rain, the snow, or the sunshine.  i don’t control what tomorrow will bring.  if i don’t even come close to controlling these things, then what makes me think that i can control my life?

i need to give control over to God.  i need to put my strength not in my hands, but in God.  i need to take refuge and comfort knowing that i am not in control and that i do not have the strength.

 

Passion

not to take any thunder from donald miller and his blue like jazz references, but tonight i was at muggswigz (a small coffee shop in canton) where a jazz band was playing, and as i watched their passion caught up in their music, i began to think about things i’m passionate about.  it was great to watch these guys play.  i went there to do some reading and as they played i began to slowly stop reading and focus my attention on them, until the book was closed on the table and my ears were all theirs. 

lately i look for music that has passion in it.  i really enjoy watching musicians get into their music.  i don’t know why.  i get into the passion, whether it is hardcore screamo music, folk acoustic, indie rock, or even a little jazz.  i like to look up the artists’ live videos on youtube or wherever and watch them play live.  in the video if they are into their music and if i can feel their passion then i totally get into them.  there is this one artist i was told about a little over a year ago, so i looked up some videos of his on youtube.  one of the videos i watched was just him on his acoustic playing a song and, as he sang this song that he has probably played a thousand times, he began to tear up towards the end.  it was a winner for me!  i enjoyed it and i enjoy that kind of passion

 i enjoy being around other people that are passionate about things.  even if their passion is about something that i could care less about. i know a few people that are really passionate about canton and the amazing things that are going on there, so i enjoy sitting down and hearing them tell their cool stories.  i know people that are passionate about music and the music they make, so i enjoy watching them play.  i know people that are passionate about the people they are in community with, so i love to hear them talk about the relationships and the interactions that occur.  i know a lady that is passionate about middle school students, so i have watched her give her everything to make sure they feel loved.  i know a guy that veiws everything from God, and i mean everything, to be a complete blessing and no matter what he is talking about there is deep passion in his voice, so i sit and listen to him and i seem to develop a passion for everything he talks about.  my fiance has a passion for serving people and helping people(the reason she’s a nurse), so i listen to the stories she tells about her patients and i get to see how she imitates Christ to them.  i know a guy that is passionate about his relationship with his girlfriend, so i enjoy hearing him tell about the amazing things that are going on in their relationship.  i know a guy that is so passionate about God that every conversation he has seems to flow into Christ-centered talk, so i sit and i talk about God with him.  i know a group of guys that are so passionate about God and serving others that they go and serve at this soup kitchen just about every week they can, so i enjoy seeing them serve and love others in Christ

it is contagious.  passion is a contagious feeling, or emotion, or whatever category passion happens to fall into.

i often wonder if people ever think about this.  i often wonder if, when people think about it, they think about me and say that mike suit is passionate about this, or passionate about that, because everytime we talk he either reflects this or talks about that.  and if they do notice some kind of passion inside of me, then what is that passion they notice?

i hope that, through the things i am passionate about, people ultimately see the One who gave me these passions.  i hope that in all i do, and in all i say, and in all my passions that i reflect God.  i know i don’t always do the best job at it.  i tend to get caught up in thinking that these passions are for me and i lose sight of the passion as a gift from God, to be used for him.   

passions are contagious.

A Frustrating Moment

so about a year ago i went on this trip with some people.  some of which i knew well, others i didn’t know at all.  it was a great trip filled with beautiful scenery, good times in the van, great laughs, and a few injuries. 

however, on the way there, i had observed an encounter between two people that i have only been warned about, or heard about a select number of times in my life.  i have never actually witnessed this happen…at least in this manner.  on the way to our destination, the group that i was travelling with decided to make a mcdonald’s stop.  as we are in line to order our food, i stood behind a guy that was in our group, whom i did not know.  so this guy goes up to order and immediately after placing his order, he asked the 16-18 year old dude behind the counter, “do you know Jesus?”  i wasn’t sure if i had heard this correctly so i tuned my ears in a little closer.  the dude behind the counter seemed uncertain if he even heard the question correctly, as well, and proceeded to ask, “what?”  the guy in our group said, “do you know Jesus as your savior?”  and this was followed by the high school guy behind the counter saying that he did not know what this man was talking about.  the guy in our group then continued to ask if the young man behind the counter knew what his spiritual gifts were.  as i stood there in amazement at what i was hearing, the dude behind the counter said again that he did not know what this guy was talking about.  then the guy asked the student behind the counter once more, “do you know Jesus?”  the student behind the counter answered out of what appeared to be shear confusion at this point, “yes,” probably in hopes of ending these series of questions.  then the guy in our group in one final statement said, “well if you know Jesus then you should know what your spiritual gifts are and if you don’t know what they are then you don’t know Jesus.” 

this was the frustrating moment where everything inside of me wanted to sock this guy in the back of the head! but i couldn’t.  i think i was in complete shock over what i had just heard. so this guy went over to the side to wait for his food.  and i came up to the counter to order my food in maybe just as much shock as the young man behind the counter was in.  i didn’t know what to say or what to do.  i ordered my food.  and after my order all i could say, or think of saying was, “i’m sorry.”  the student behind the counter just nodded his head and that was it.  i wasn’t expecting him to engage in anymore conversation. why would he at that point? i wanted to give him a hug or something. but all i could say was “i’m sorry.” 

maybe i should have said something more, or maybe nothing at all.  i wanted to tell him that the very impression of God that he had just receieved from this guy in our group is not the same God that i worship!  that i worship a God of love, and a God that wants to engage in our life stories, and a God that wants meaningful relationships with us.  not a God that drills us with question after question, threatening us to think about our relationship with Him. 

in the encounter between the guy in our group and the student behind the counter there was no listening to each others life story, there was no intent of a relationship, there was no love. 

no love.  how can we portray God without any love?

Christ met the samaritan woman at the well and listened to her story.  Christ went to zacchaeus’ house and hungout with him. 

there is love in Christ’s interactions with the people who needed love.

there was no love in the interaction between the guy in our group and the student behind the counter.

where is the love of Christ in the interactions you have with people on a daily basis?