DISCLAIMER: I HAVE THE WORST GRAMMAR AND SPELLING. SO SORRY!
Today something that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9 came to life if even just a little bit. It is Shawn and I's 3rd day off and it seemed as if nothing could go our way. (Though this may sound like a complaint, let me assure you it is not. No complaining, just observing).
This morning we went to a lovely little coffee shop in Montego Bay. I tried to order a Cranberry Raspberry smoothie- they did not have any cranberry. Shawn tried to order a bacon egg and cheese bagel- they did not have any bacon. Even so we sat down and had a delicious breakfast and after we were finished I pulled out my computer so I could post another video to YouTube (the coffee shop advertises free wifi to all costumers)- the wifi was not working, so instead I read the "Daily Observer", a Jamaican newspaper (which will become more important later on in the post). We went back to where we are staying when Shawn had the wonderful idea of swimming. We got our bathing suits on, I grabbed my book so I could do some reading in the sunshine while he swam and right when we got upstairs it started to rain, so no sitting in the sunshine and the pool was closed because they had just preformed a treatment on the pool, so no swimming for Shawn. So then we decided we would watch Harry Potter on the roof of the building (there is a section that is covered that looks out to the ocean and the airport-- Shawn really loves watching the airplanes take off). So we went up to the roof and we watched some of the fourth Harry Potter movie before a man came and told us that it was time for him to turn on the really loud reggae music that plays from the speakers of our building every night. Alas, we were kicked out of the rooftop area. No big deal though because our room is just downstairs. As we approach our room we are informed that one of the ladies has just started cleaning our room and that it will be awhile until she is done. So no roof and no room for us. We stay in the lobby to watch the movie. After the movie we are able to return to our room where we decide to go out for dinner. When we get to dinner and I start to order my first meal option and my backup meal option were unavailable. And this is just to name a few. Again, I would like to state that these are not complaints, these are just observations. For those of you who have lived anywhere other than America perhaps you understand that this is normal, this is just everyday life. (hints the popular Jamaican phrase: "So it goes sometimes..")
First, I would just like to note that Shawn and I handled this very well considering the fact that we are Americans (and new on the island). Though we might not recognize it, we like all of the options on the menu to be available and if not all, at least most. We like to be able to where we want, when we want, especially if we are guests somewhere and only have a few options. But I am proud to say that Shawn and I handled these things as any local would- with a "No Problem" and a smile. I think this shows that Shawn and I are already doing a pretty good job accepting the new culture that we are living in (sometimes, maybe even normally, these things take a bit to get used to).
Second, I would like to say that while Shawn and I are not living like most Jamaicans on the island (most living off of $40 a week) we certainly aren't living like we did in America. We have a tiny living area, a not so cozy bed, a hardly working AC, we do not have hot water, ever. 90% of the time here we give up the privilege of falling asleep and waking up together. There are mosquitos everywhere, we aren't always "safe", Shawn is always sweating and things don't always smell (how do I say this politely) as 'fresh' as we might prefer. We eat peanut butter sandwiches when we aren't eating the usual chicken and rice. We live out of a suitcase
AND WE LOVE IT. Living simply is just wonderful. But I think the reason we like it the most is because we can relate, even if just a little bit, better to those we are surrounded by.
When I started to realize all of the things that could have been an inconvenience to us I was reminded that this is how it is in Jamaica everyday. Most people don't get what they want when they want it, if at all, if ever...
I started to think about the men who race to wash your window when you stop at a stop light, what they would prefer to be doing, I thought of the ladies who are begging everyone that passes buy to come shop in their store, I thought of the young boy who, instead of going to school, is selling fruit on the street corner, I thought of the men on the beach asking everyone if they want to buy a bracelet with their name on it. What would they rather be doing to make money, to make enough to eat, to live? How would they rather be spending their time? What would they rather be eating than just the food they can afford to survive?
These things are so much bigger than the inconveniences that Shawn and I experienced today-- but I think we can go
even bigger.
On the front page of the newspaper that I read in the coffee shop today (instead of loading a video on YouTube) read: "TWIN TRAGEDY" It was a story of twin brothers, the age of 9, who were walking home in the rain storm on Monday and haven't been seen since. I thought about the mother of those boys, and all of the parents in Jamaica and how they would probably prefer a bus system instead of their children's walking home from school (sometimes for miles and miles). I thought about the men we see walking along the streets with limps and cains, broken down and crippled from a life time of hard labor, I bet they would prefer to walk without assistance and more speed (especially since they walk everywhere they go). I thought back to the people that we met in the infirmary, I thought of the people there and how the would probably prefer to be with their families, or to have a room of their own, or to have their family or to have legs...
Our inconveniences are so minuscule compared to that.
I think that God brought all of Shawn and I's "inconveniences" to the surface today so I could be reminded of all of these things. So that I could be reminded that no matter the life I live or how long I live in a certain culture there will always be things to learn and sacrifices to be made and that there is only One who knows of every story and every culture and every walk of life.
What an amazing reminder, that no matter how "Jamaican" we think we are becoming, there is only One who knows Jamaican's fully, because He created them and to lean on Him alone and entirely during this adventure.
But lastly, I pray that our hunger to learn as much as we possibly can never goes away. I pray that we constantly challenge ourselves to become more and more like the culture in which we are serving in so might relate to them better, love them better in hopes that we might save some.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
