Wrap-Up: Lessons learned in Alaska

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I have been busy since getting back home.

For the past two years I've been exploring the concept of love and the theology behind it. When I'm talking about love, I'm not just talking about saying that I love coffee or the fact that I love Apple products. I'm talking about the tried-and-true, in-your-face love that Christ demonstrated when He died on the cross for our sins.

Now that I got your attention, I'll elaborate.

I've always loved words. I've always loved everything having to do with words, like reading, writing, music with vocals, and verbal communication. For the longest time I was plagued by this sense that love is a word and something that is expressed primarily through verbal or written communication.

Boy, was I dead wrong.

While in Alaska I had the opportunity of serving with an amazing group of students from all over Texas (and one from North Carolina and another from Hawaii). During those three weeks I ended up serving with a lot more people (think of folks from all over the country), but I spent the overwhelming majority of my time with this group of students. I watched and was amazed at their ability to open up to people that they did not know at all before arriving in Alaska. I watched as within a few days, we became a family. The experience was incredible.

A few weeks ago when we hit the beaches for the project, I remember going into the first weekend not knowing what was going to happen. Even though I managed to get a glimpse at the project during my previous trip to Alaska last year, there were still a lot of questions.

Then we got to serving, and I got to see the looks on peoples' faces as we gave them free hot dogs, or the looks of relief on the parents' faces as we took care of their kids in kids camp so that they could catch their fish. I got to see the looks of joy on the kid's face as they actually had something to do other than sitting in the sand and avoid the water.

It was after those experiences that I realized that love with more than just words. Really, its not even something that can be accurately described in words.

I guess what I am trying to say is: love cannot be described or declared using words. It must be demonstrated.

You would think that with all of the thinking and reading and praying that I have been doing over the past two years that I would come to realize this, but the concept never seemed to be that real and present to me. But then I look in my bible and read stories of how God's love was demonstrated in part through His people, and in full through His Son, and it makes sense.

David showed love when he spared Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9). Esther showed love for her people when she used her position in the Persian government to intercede on behalf of the Jews (Book of Esther). Jacob showed love for Rachel when he worked for years to earn the right to marry her (Genesis 29:9-30). God showed love for the people of Israel when he led them out of captivity and into the Promised Land (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). There are countless stories of God's love through out the Bible, but none is greater than when He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross, since we could never be free of the burden of sin on our own. Its an amazing story of love and man's redemption in the eyes of God.

Going forward, I intend to look for ways I can better demonstrate love, so that I can better demonstrate Christ and the effect He has had on my life.

It looks to be a promising adventure.

Kyle