Faith & daily life
At the heart of our faith is the belief that God meets us where we are in all the places and relationships in
which we live, work, play and relate. We pray, support and encourage one another as we grow deeper in faith
and learn to trust God with our whole lives. Some of us are new on the journey; others have been at it for
a while. All of us can find inspiration and hope in the stories of our fellow travelers. FAITH & DAILY LIFE will
be featured monthly with stories of God at work in YOUR life.
Finding God in the Dark
by Madison Lyndsley
Last summer I had the amazing opportunity to go on the San Diego/Tijuana
border mission trip with the youth program at Bethlehem. This trip was nothing
like any other mission trip I had been on. It may have only been five days but
they were probably the most emotionally and faith-challenging five days I have
put myself through, and my life has been impacted for the better.
"...here I was in
probably one of
the darkest and
ugliest corners of
society feeling His
presence."
So many moments struck me during my time in Tijuana, but there’s one that
will forever change my perspective on where we find God. On one of our days
in Tijuana one of the peacemakers we met, Samuel, took us around to different
spots in the city and discussed with us their significance in immigration and the
city’s past. At one point we walked through the Red Light District of the city. I
remember walking along with the group and intentionally avoiding looking into
the surrounding clubs, but as we passed a small café or diner I suddenly became
curious and looked into the window. There I saw a young woman, and what
struck me first was her bright blue blouse, which was very pretty and made of
a delicate material. As my eyes moved up to her face I was shocked to see that
her makeup was smeared under her eyes as if she had been crying, and the look
on her face was one of complete brokenness. Unexpectedly in that moment I
felt God. I was confused because you usually hear about people finding God in
beautiful places, but here I was in probably one of the darkest and ugliest corners
of society feeling his presence. It wasn’t until much later after the trip that I
was able to figure out why exactly I found God in that moment. It was because
I finally put a face to the statistics of sexual harassment. I was reminded that
those suffering in society right now are much more than numbers on a page;
they’re human beings. God needed me to see that−he lifted my eyes and made
me see that woman and her pain. He showed me that by just ignoring this
problem I was not doing anything and reminded me that I need to talk about and
notice pain in order to heal it.
This trip was also very important to me because, as a current college student,
to me money is everything. At that point in my life college and scholarship
applications started making volunteer hours seem like currency. One mission
trip more could mean more money in my funds. This attitude completely took
out the whole humanity of volunteering: the work of healing and helping your
community selflessly. After coming to that realization I was completely disgusted
and horrified with myself and what my view on volunteering had become. This
trip helped me stop and take back volunteering, basically. I grew for the good of
others and the betterment of my community, not just myself. It’s a realization
I want to continue to carry throughout my life and one I recommend everyone
(especially young adults) start carrying as well.
4