Beatitudes in Action
Last summer, as I was looking for things to study with my Small Group and Life Group, Matthew 5 became my focus. As we began to study the blessings of God and what it is to be salt and light, I was asked to go on a mission trip to Kenya. The trip didn't take place until late September, and we continued on, studying a new beatitude each week from Matthew 5.
Summer rushed by, and before I knew it, we had spent almost an entire day on an airplane with another day of travel still ahead of us. During the chaos of delayed flights, being stuck in a country that wasn't our destination, and even spending the night on an airport floor with lots of other unhappy travelers, God showed me the blessing of the peacemakers.
I watched as the people I left on the trip with showed kindness, patience, and understanding to the overwhelmed staff at the airport and our angry fellow passengers. Eventually we reached Kisumu and the missionaries who were eagerly awaiting our arrival.
Throughout the trip, I saw many of the other blessings of God that Jesus mentions in Matthew 5 lived out in the body of Christ. I witnessed the blessing of the poor in spirit when I watched 28 people be baptized in Pokot. They had been eagerly awaiting the day of their baptism. They were grateful to be in relationship with Christ and discipled by the missionaries who shared God's Word with them.
The blessing of the meek was clearly seen every day in the lives of our missionaries and the Sunday school teachers in Kakamega, who walked miles for an opportunity to learn how to share God's Word more effectively with the people in their community. Surely God will continue to bless them as they hunger and thirst for righteousness while they grow in their relationship with Him.
Finally, I saw women mourning the loss of their husbands receive comfort as we worked with the local church to provide some of their basic needs. Throughout the entire journey, I saw the light of those I was with and the light of the believers in Kenya shine brightly. The equator in Africa is definitely hot, but it is not as warm as the hearts of the believers there.