Enough

Last week, I had the privilege of spending time in Costa Rica on a mission trip. We spent our days doing various kinds of ministry: Vacation Bible School, playing bingo at a home for the elderly, sports ministry and taking baskets of food to families in need. The families we visited were chosen by the local pastor. They all had one or more financial, physical, emotional or spiritual needs. Each basket was a blessing, a tangible expression of God’s love and provision, but even as we delivered them, we knew that the food would run out. The pain would still be there. The basket was helpful, but it wasn’t enough.

The stories we heard were heartbreaking. Grief that spanned years. Losses still fresh. Burdens carried in silence for too long. Diagnoses that seemed unfair. As we listened, prayed and cried with them, something holy happened. We were able to MAKE ROOM, not just for need, but for the presence of Jesus to meet it.

He was there in the quiet prayers whispered through tears.
He was there in the hugs and smiles exchanged.
He was there as we worshipped on Sunday in two languages but one Spirit.

God moved in powerful ways. He showed up again and again through the hands and hearts of a team that felt handpicked for those very moments.

Then I came home.

Upon my return, I stepped straight into some really difficult situations. Things I didn’t expect. Things that can’t be fixed with a visit or a basket of food. There’s pain I can’t outrun. There are transitions and unknowns ahead. There are questions without answers. Honestly, if someone had showed up at my door with a basket, I might have laughed. How is that helpful to the situation I’m going through?

A basket of goods isn’t enough to remove the pain in Costa Rica, and it can’t answer my questions. However, I know this: what we all need in hard times isn’t just God’s provision; it’s God’s presence. God’s presence sustained the people we visited. It’s sustaining me now. He may not always remove the pain, but He never leaves us in it alone. The baskets pointed to something greater: a God who sees, a God who sustains and a God who stays.

Sees: He is near to the brokenhearted and those with crushed spirits. (Psalm 34:18)
Sustains: He gives strength to the weary and power to the faint. (Isaiah 40:29)
Stays: He walks with us through the valley, never leaving us alone, but remaining close. (Psalm 23:4)

We can’t rely on our own strength, knowledge or understanding, so we MAKE ROOM, not for easy answers or escape, but for His presence which is more than enough. He is the treasure. He is the prize.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Provers 3:5-6