Looking For Joy?
Have you ever felt like you were on a hunt for joy? An 18-year-old boy was surprised to find it surrounded by people who had very little. He found it where you’d assume you’d find sadness. He went on a trip unsure of what he would experience but came back with a new perspective on life.
When he returned, he reflected and shared, “I’m willing to say I saw more joy in this one week in Kijabe, Kenya than what I’ve seen in America throughout my whole nearly 18 years of life.”
What if I told you that you could find joy, a new perspective, hope and purpose by going on a trip for a week? Would you go?
The Trajectory of a Life Changed
High school senior, Nico, joined his classmates and teacher on a team to Kenya earlier this year. When he returned, the trajectory of his life changed. He came back with a different outlook on life simply by saying yes to going on a mission trip.
He had spent 18 years of his life in America and only one week in Kenya, yet this trip had the power to alter his life and perspective. How is this possible?
Moldy Cake
Nico shared his experience during his valedictorian speech amongst peers and their parents soon after he returned from Kenya. “The world tries to tell us to find purpose in happiness and the pursuit of it. However, that’s not God’s purpose for our lives, and we will never find fulfillment in doing it the world’s way.”
Nico had witnessed the people in Kenya couldn’t find comfort in basic things like an abundance of food, easily accessible clean water, or a warm cozy home. He saw many people who lived in tiny one-room homes with dirt floors, no running water or electricity, and often had nothing but couches and blankets inside.
“So often what we try to do is first find joy in the world and then put a little bit of God on top like icing on the cake. But let me tell you, the cake of the world hidden underneath is moldy and rotten all the way through. The people of Kijabe understood that we must first find our joy in the Lord and then He will provide for us.”
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and He will give you everything you need.”
-Matthew 6:33
Those in Kenya knew things he hadn’t yet discovered:
- Their joy came from the Lord, not the world, simply because the world has very little to offer them in their current situation.
- The things of this world that we have are blessings from God, not the rewards of our works or efforts. We can lose these things just as quickly as we gain them.