Spanish Blog: I Was a Sneaky Child

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As a small child, I was quite sneaky.  I remember planning ways to keep my parents from knowing about my disobedience. I would often shift the blame for things onto my little sister, who was just a year and a half younger than I.  And when my parents caught me in disobedience and sent me to my room for time out, I sometimes raced to put on multiple pairs of shorts so that I would not feel the spanking that I knew was coming.

I thought that living for myself and avoiding discipline was the best way to enjoy life. Thankfully, I was born to parents who looked to the Lord for wisdom regarding how to train up and discipline their children.  They always tried to discipline me in love as our heavenly Father does, teaching me about the consequences of my actions, and the correct way to seek forgiveness.  I realize now what a tremendous blessing this was for me.  

 

 

From even before I could really understand, my parents taught me about the sin in my own heart, and the forgiveness that God offers, and the joy that comes with submitting to His kingship over me.  They read Bible stories to me regularly, and took me to church every Sunday.  Most mornings I saw my parents spending time in prayer and reading their Bibles.  And as I grew older, my parents began to teach me directly from God’s word as well.  I remember sitting on my parents bed as a family and listening to my Father read to us from the Bible and explain how he understood it.

 

 

My parents taught me that because God created humanity in His image, we all belong to Him, and each person must be treated with kindness, generosity and respect.  These are truths which humanity seems to be slowly losing.  As we forgo our identity as sons and daughters of God, fear creeps in and we begin to live like victims.  We hurt one another as we attempt to protect ourselves from hurt (just as I did to my poor little sister).  We have forgotten that our heavenly Father longs to be our advocate and protector.

 

 

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  ~ Isaiah 43:1-3

 

 

Even as I write about the sad decline of the knowledge of God and His good purposes, I am reminded, however, of many ways in which His truths are written on the hearts of every human being.

 

 

Friends in Cusco, your culture is such a beautiful testament to many of these truths! 

 

 

Despite the difficult circumstances many of you face daily you are so committed to justice and mercy.  You so readily celebrate noble causes and champion the plight of those less fortunate than yourselves, demonstrating incredible passion for the good and the beautiful.  You give such lovely respect to the image of God in mankind by the way you honor each acquaintance with a warm greeting and intentionally navigate each interaction in a way that preserves the dignity of the other.

 

 

These are attitudes and practices which I have observed over and over again living in Cusco, and they are such tangible evidence of the image of God in you!  So many of you naturally take up the call from Genesis 1:27-28 to spread God’s kingdom of honor, respect, and love over the face of the earth.

 

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it,” ~ Genesis 1:27-28a

 

But friends, I beg you to also remember what God’s word proclaims next:

 

“Have dominion over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28b)

 

So highly has God honored you as His image bearers that He has called you to rule over the creation and cultivate it in propagation of God’s kingdom and eternal glory.  

 

Oh that you would not neglect this calling by worshiping the creation as if it were the ruler over you!  Oh, that you would rise to the high calling your loving Creator intended for you!  My prayer is that this message from God’s word will captivate hearts and minds here in Cusco and free people to live even more fully as the light in the world they were created to be.