Comfort for Me

In the summer of 1989 I went on my first mission trip.  I flew to San Diego California and from there journeyed into Tijuana Mexico with an organization called Mexican Christian Mission.  Each morning we crossed the border worked alongside La Iglesia del Buen Pastor, building a fellowship hall for their congregation.  Each evening we returned to San Diego.

My friend Rick -- who is now the pastor of Praise! Fellowship in Warren, Pennsylvania -- and I stayed in the home of a couple from the local Christian & Missionary Alliance church, the McDills.  We stayed in the room that had previously housed their two grown daughters.  I remember the pink.  I remember the frilly pillows.  But what I remember the most vividly was the soft, comfortable beds.

The second night there, as we lay on our beds contemplating our day, Rick commented to me "I feel unworthy of this bed."  I quickly agreed.  After spending the day in the poor suburb of Tijuana where the church was located, the soft accommodations of the McDills' home stood in stark contrast.

"I'm on a mission trip," Rick continued, "I feel like I should be suffering."  Again, I whole-heartedly agreed.

Then, two days later, the Lord taught me a lesson about seeking out suffering.

After a long hot day framing a floor in the hot Mexican summer sun, we were informed that we were staying with the pastor and his wife for dinnner.  Also, that we would be staying over in Mexico that night.

We had no blankets, no sleeping bag, no pillow, no toothbrush, nothing but the clothes on our backs and the Bibles we had brought with us.

That night we slept on a thin rug over a hard concrete floor.  I learned that night in Tijuana can be a cold as the day is hot.  I learned that a Members Only windbreaker makes a cool fashion statement but not a warm blanket.  I learned that while an NIV Study Bible is thick, it is not thick enough to make an effective pillow. 

I learned what Jesus meant when He told a prospective disciple that "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20 NIV)

It means that being His disciple may mean giving up comfort.

But it doesn't mean seeking discomfort.

I woke up the next morning stiffer, but a bit wiser.

In the McDills home, I had wanted to suffer for Jesus on my own terms.  In Tijuana, I suffered on His terms.  And the Lord spoke to me as clearly as any human speech: "accept suffering when it comes your way, my child, but do not seek it out."

The rest of the week, I stopped taking that bed for granted, and delighted that the McDills loved Jesus enough to open their home to two strangers and to be our gracious hosts.

What got me thinking about this?  Last night here in Pretoria I slept in a comfortable bed, this morning I took a long hot shower with excellent pressure, with new soap, and a fresh towel waiting for me at the end.  I shaved my face (and my head) and then went down and lingered over a delicious breakfast (the kiwi was exceptional!!) while talking with friends who feel like family.  Today was a day of comfort for me.

Tomorrow, I will fly back to Swaziland.  I don't know what accommodations will be waiting for me when I cross into Mozambique.  But I will accept what is offered to me gladly, whether it is privation or comfort.

Please pray for me as I say goodbye to the Swaziland Relief team and our hosts here in South Africa. 

Also, please continue to pray for my right ankle.  It has healed up remarkably, I daresay miraculously.  I should not be surprised given the outpouring of prayer (and the excellent, personalized nursing care) I have received, but God has shown me recently that He can still surprise me and even delights in doing so.

-Michael