A Drop in the Bucket

Manila’s streets never sleep. It’s a continual honking, swift driving, and random shouting outside my window. I don’t mind it one bit. I love to hear the hustle and bustle of people. Right now as I write, I’m listening to the guys from this center I’m staying at sing praises to the Lord at the top of their lungs. I do love this place.

Every time I go to a new country I get the same feeling of overwhelm. Overwhelm that there are so many people, 19 million in this case, in one place. Overwhelm at the percentage that do not know Christ. Overwhelm that no matter how hard I try, there is no way any of us could change this world.

There are just too many people, too many lives.

Like I said, I’ve gotten this feeling before. It’s one of the saddest things to realize. It’s like I’ve lost all hope of ever having all of God’s most amazing creation in heaven someday.

I think that’s why I don’t enjoy going to a new country just to tour. I can’t stand going to a resort and spending money when there are so many people for me to see, to pray for, and to meet. Yes, I’m a naturally shy person. It’s hard for me to evangelize and just randomly share the gospel. But I do want to love as much as I can, to serve with all my heart and I do want to share as much as I can with anyone I meet.

But I still feel helpless. Like the person I might lead to the Lord is too small a drop in the bucket to do any good. Maybe that’s why Jesus put so much emphasis on the little things. So in seeing the whole picture we wouldn’t lose hope.

Here in the Philippines I’ve seen the little things. In the mist of 19 million people I’ve seen God at work. Throughout my stay at the center I’ve seen the end result of much work and pain that brought about some of the most amazing young men of God. I’ve seen God at work in their hearts, still moving, still showing them His plan for their lives. I saw them work to bring their people to the Kingdom. And when I visited the orphanage today I saw it in the little one’s eyes. I saw it in the smiles of children who are being loved so tenderly while they wait for a family.

I saw the drop in the bucket.

And I had hope.