I think one of the most valuable lessons that the Lord has taught me while I have been in Uganda is "to keep loving" no matter what--no matter whether it seems my love is making no difference at all, no matter how I feel, no matter what I think, no matter what I see or hear... It is vital for me to keep pouring out my heart and acting out of love and compassion--no matter if it costs me my pride, my dignity, my comfort, my life…That is what Jesus did for us, and I have realized he expects no less of his followers. His love was not dependent on results. His love was not dependent on the reactions of others. He loved freely and consistently. I need to do the same. His life impacted and still impacts many because of the love that filled his heart; that love is still drawing many today, even though he is no longer physically present. It is our capacity to love that will survive even after we have gone. It is our heart of compassion that leaves a permanent mark on others' lives. It is not our money, our gifts, our words, or our prestige that truly counts in life. It is our ability to love and the measure we administer to others.
As I continue to live in Uganda and ask the Lord to fill me with more love for the people, I cannot say I have always seen immediate results from my actions of love. Nevertheless, I know in my heart that loving others wholeheartedly is changing others and it's changing me. There are challenges to showing love in a nation where genuine love is not easily expressed and can even be seen as a weakness, where mistrust, disloyalty, evil, and selfishness prevail, and where abuse and neglect are looked at as common place occurrences. Yet, I know one of the main reasons God has called me to this nation is to demonstrate and freely express His love to others. He has revealed to me that it is not money, power, or prestige that saves a nation; it is the agape love of Christ. This is what changed the lives of others two thousand years ago and is still changing the world today-when Jesus gave up his life for the sake of love and saved the world forever.
