They don't need your pity, and they sure don't need mine.

A couple weeks ago I hung up a FaceTime call with a good friend from back home, very frustrated. It wasn't her fault for not understanding what I tried to describe as my life now here in Cambodia. I described my day to day, and what I really am doing in Svay Pak on a daily basis and her voice changed to one of pity as she said "it just sounds so sad the way your living and what your doing." Those words felt like a punch to the gut.

As I was letting my frustration rise with someone I loved feeling pity for living my life the way I am here, I heard God's whisper speak don't pity my people here in Cambodia either. Some days I can get caught up in the whirlwind of an abuse case at the school and without realizing it place pity on those kids and their families. But the truth of it is that my student going home everyday to abuse and poverty is really a daughter of the king- one whom is fully loved and accepted by her Father God. A daughter that God is very intentional with in his pursuit after her and purpose for her life. Her present suffering does not define who she is, or what God wants to do with her life. That's the truth of the matter.

In Cambodia the winding roads that lead back to my students houses consist of some big wide national roads that are crazy and filled with whirling people, mottos, food carts, brick trucks, honking cars, and you name it-it's on the road. But off of the large road are these tiny narrow pathways, ones that look like a small alleyway that would lead nowhere. But if you turn onto one of those narrow pathways you will find hidden villages filled with life and joyful smiling people living with little to nothing often times in shacks, and it's beautiful. And truthfully they don't need your pity, and they sure don't need mine.

I remember hearing the verse that says "enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is narrow that leads to life, and those who find it are few." and was taught and scared into thinking that it was a small chance that I would be one of the few that that found that narrow path, and I felt pity for those who didn't find that narrow path. I don't think that's what God was trying to get across to us in these verses at all though.

These verses scream kingdom and bringing it to earth. I think it would be very easy to live life as a Christian, and be still bringing destruction to the earth instead of the Kingdom of God. I think that narrow path is the one that you turn down off of National Road 5 here in Phnom Penh or the barefoot dirt roads in India as you see beauty in brokenness and need from people hungry for the Kingdom of God to come.  I think few people are willing to turn down it because it's dusty and messy, and the unknown is around each corner you turn. But once the dust clears, and navigating the unknown becomes a faith filled adventure with the Holy Spirit there is so much beauty to behold its unfathomable. There is so much waiting for the faithful servant willing to turn onto the narrow dirt filled path, so much Kingdom to be had right here on earth. If we are a people filled with the Holy Spirit, and Christ is formed in us then we are the gate and there are people waiting for Kingdom to come through us.

Is there brokenness, pain, and suffering down those dirt roads? There sure is, but nothing worth pitying. God brings life and kingdom to the suffering, not pity. And neither do I any longer. I'm here to climb mountains with people, and watch them come to life when they never even thought they could leave the valley in the first place.