It's Worth Re-thinking Worth

traveled to Costa Rica, to spend a week working with a church in the barrio of San Jose. being my second time there, the faces were some familiar, some new, but the scenery remained the same. dirt, sewage, marijuana - and the smiles of kids whose faces disguise a growing awareness of how hard life is.

the trip was construction, the centerpiece being the installation of two hot water heaters to provide the kitchen and pastor's 'house' hot water. the installation was tricky - costa rican building standards being interesting to say the least - but with perseverance, prayer, and talent the mission was accomplished.

the morning after the hot water heaters were installed, Christian (one of the two pastors) told us that he gave his nine-month old daughter a bath in warm water for the first time in her life. now, the sink was concrete and dirty by american standards. But for the first time the water was warm, and maybe life a little better for all of them.

on the trip I was the banker. i knew the budget and the resources we had to work with, but when i heard the story about Christian and his daughter i started re-thinking what this mission effort was 'worth.' in one sense, the trip has an economic value - I can tell you the money that was spent and how much each tool or piece of equipment cost. as true as this economic view might be, faith tells me the worth is far more. Jesus, while he certainly knew his dollars and cents, also knew that 'worth' in heaven has a far greater meaning. in heaven, kindness, mercy, and love of neighbor are the only measures of value. in fact, He might say that anything without these virtues has no value, or worse a negative one.

so what was our mission trip worth? i am not sure, but i am rethinking what has value and it is leading my, i believe, to understanding Jesus more.