Luke 9:23-24

When I came to Baja 1 1/2 years ago, I thought it was to serve God by going out to villages and agricultural camps to evangelize by showing the "Jesus" film.  If it were my choice, that's what I'd be doing all the time.  But, Jesus said "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."

This verse has taken on new meanings for me.  Sometimes, denying ourselves means we sit and relax when we want to be "doing something for God".  Sometimes it means buying a burrito of very questionable origin from someone on the street just for the opportunity to speak to them.  Sometimes it means hanging out in a grocery store waiting for a family to finish shopping.

During the past two weeks, I've had opportunities to talk to a couple of pastors about showing films for their outreaches, but nothing has developed.  God has given me  opportunities to go shopping for clothing and groceries with families and to help a local man with a couple of trips to the hospital and trips to pharmacies for medicine.  The Lord has also been slowly expanding a new ministry of distributing gospel messages and bible stories on CD in the Mixteco and Triqui languages.  Even though there are few opportunities to do what I think I should be "doing for God", if I submit to Him and His will, He will glorify Himself.  All of this reminds me of a quote by Pastor Greg Laurie:  "You can't be too small for God to use, only too big."