Intimacy Without Borders

To be honest, not all of my motivations to participate in Beyond Borders are benevolent. There is a part of me that signed up for this program to make myself look better. Don’t get me wrong, that is not my sole motivation, but it is there. I’ve done a lot of good works in my life; I’ve volunteered with mentally handicapped children, I led a camp for kids with visual impairments, and last summer I even ran a church. That being said I have a tendency to devalue these experiences by frequently bringing them up in conversation. After all, nothing says “I’m a nice guy” like saying “I ran a church.” Don’t get me wrong, that was not the only reason I ran a church, but it was there. Truth be told, I don’t like that aspect of myself. Once in a blue moon I see a person who serves without anticipating some form of kickback, and I fall in love (mostly figuratively, once literally). I believe that man can only show his greatness when no one is looking. This morning while reading the bible I came across a passage that reminded me of my situation;
“So when you give something to a needy person. Do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your father, who sees what you do in private will reward you.” (Mathew 6:2-4)
I find this idea so romantic. It says to me, treat your works as an intimate experience between you and God, and it will become an intimate experience between you and God. Now our beyond borders experience cannot be completely private, we’ve already sent out dozens of letters, and our friends/family will be expecting stories upon our return. That being said however, there will come a time during our placements where we will do something truly great. Something that we are so proud of that it burns like secret in our mouths. I challenge you though to keep that moment as a truly private moment. Tell people of your trip, your experiences, of your joys and challenges, but keep that one moment of excellence between you and God.