why.

 

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27

This is my favorite verse in the Bible; the one that I live by. Some would call it my life verse.

With that being said, there's so much I can say about it. I could probably write pages and pages. However, what practical application can I take for my life, here, today?

I am here in El Salvador to love God by doing just this. To visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep myself unstained by the world. However, amid the busy-ness, sickness, work, joy, and exhaustion that a day here may bring, I often forget this. I forget why I'm enduring all this. I forget that because God has called me here, Satan is doing all he can to get me to give up. I forget that God never promised it would be easy.

I am going to make a conscious effort to remind myself of why I'm here. When I am digging, raking, playing with kids, laying in bed sick, planning VBS, enduring headaches, cooking a meal, practicing Spanish, cleaning, or anything else, I will look to the Lord and remember this verse: I am doing all these things so that I may love the loveless as He does, and remain unspotted by the things of this world. James 1:27; it's what I'm living for.

and it's all worth it.

Santiago 1:27

"La religión pura y sin mácula delante de Dios y Padre es esta: Visitar los huérfanos y las viudas en sus tribulaciones, y guardarse sin mancha de este mundo."