Refreshments

"Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home." -C.S. Lewis

For whatever reason this past weekend was really hard. I really started to miss my family, friends and the many comforts of home. As I prepared to go to a new church on Sunday morning, my heart was heavy and I felt drained and tired. Entering the Palapa Church of Cabo, I was anything but ready to worship. Luckily, God had other plans for my morning and as we lifted songs of praise to the Lord my heart began to change. After the last song the pastor asked for a few minutes of silence to pray and quiet our hearts. As I prayed, I felt the worries, discomforts, and my weariness melting away and I was filled with a deep peace and comfort. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus tells us that "where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them," and these words came alive for me Sunday morning. I looked around at the five or six families that came for worship that morning and there was no doubt we had gathered in His name. Jesus may not have been visible with my eyes, but the Prince of Peace brought with Him a tangible feeling of comfort and security that is unmatched by anything of this world. I came to church that morning wishing to feel comforted by a hug from my family, a slice of pizza, or maybe a couple more hours of sleep but true comfort is found in God alone. I do not want to complain or make it seem as though my time here has been ridiculously difficult and full of hardship because that is simply not true. However, many of the things that I find comfort in back home have been removed and are not available to me here but I count this as a great blessing because it has forced me to rely all the more on Christ. And the good news is that each time I have sought comfort in the Lord, He has been there in a powerful way. There have definitely been times of want but never times of need because in Him we have more than we could ever need. All of this burst through the doors of the Palapa Church last sunday and during those few minutes of silent prayer, I was refreshed by this glimpse of what Heaven must feel like.

After the service I had a chance to meet a new brother and friend and his story of redemption blew me away. Over two years ago he had come to Cabo running from the law and seeking to get into the booming drug trade here. After a few months he found himself in jail, but it was there that he came to know the Lord and his life has taken a turn for the amazing. Late last year he celebrated his first year of sobriety since he was less than 9, and I could hardly imagine the guy I was talking to could ever have been anything other than someone following whole heartedly after the Lord. The man I was talking to had been powerfully changed by Christ. Before he left we made plans to get together Wednesday and as planned, he picked me up yesterday to take me to his favorite place in Cabo. As often occurs, I had no idea what we would be doing so I packed my bag with a bible, snorkel, sandwich, camera, and some extra pesos so I would be ready for anything. We parked down by the marina and looking up at the mountain you see above, he told me with a smile that we'd be going up there and off we went. Together we ducked under some barbed wire fences and began to climb. As we went we shared more of where we had been and where we believed God was talking us in life. Like with most cool hikes, there were no paths and every ten or fifteen minutes we would find a good rock to stop on for a water break. Each time we stopped and looked back I was amazed by how far we had climbed and the view that was unfolding. Onward we went and after a few run-ins with cactus' and a snake we arrived at the top and were greeted by the cross. Up until this point I had no idea that there was a cross on top of this mountain and this place quickly became my favorite spot in Cabo as well. Looking out at the city to one side and the ocean on the other, I as captivated by the beauty and how much more spectacular the view from the top was from our water breaks below. They may have been pleasant inns down below, but there was no mistaking the them for what I know saw. My friend told me that over a year and a half ago he had brought all of the remnants of his life of drugs and literally laid them at the foot of the cross. Smashing them on the rocks he prayed that God would empower Him and that the chains of addiction would be broken and he now stands firm in the Lord. Temptation still comes but he renews his strength in the Lord, the source of strength. I praise God for what he is doing in this brother's life and the joy it was to hear some of his story. Before heading back down for some fish tacos, we prayed together that God would continue to strengthen us and that we would be so filled with Christ that there is no room for sin.

This week may have been hard at times but God is reminding me that in Him alone do I stand. There have been some pleasant inns and stops along this journey that have brought much refreshment, but I pray I don't mistake them for the real thing that awaits when we're all home in Heaven.