I could talk for days about the whole trip. It was INCREDIBLE! The mountains in Peru are stunning and Machu Picchu of course is amazing! We did a four-day hike to Machu Picchu that included everything from crazy van rides, hot springs, biking, and zip-lining to hiking. We were part of a group that included, two cousins from France, two Canadians, two Spainards, an Irishman, a guy from Switzerland, and of course our trusty guide Abraham.
Before leaving, I had been bathing the trip in prayer, praying that the Lord would present spiritual conversations along the trail. I am still amazed at how the Lord answered my prayer. Three conversations occurred and never once did I have to bring them up.
Day one, Thanksgiving Day, we arrived in Peru and treated ourselves to a nice Thanksgiving meal. After going around the table sharing what we were thankful for for the year, my friends began a spiritual conversation where the Lord gave me the opportunity to share what my faith meant to me.
The next conversation was 3 days into the hike and continues to leave me singing praises at how great our God is. Here we are walking along and one of our friends from France just begins asking me about Genesis. He was raised in an atheist home and had just decided to start reading the Bible. He was full of questions. He is such a smart guy and Genesis was really giving him a run for his money. So for 2 hours we talked. He had some great questions that were really making me think as well. By the end the Gospel had been shared and he told me that this was the first time he was able to talk so openly with someone about religion. There was so much that occurred throughout this conversation, but there is one thing that the Lord began showing me that continues to weigh in my mind.
All throughout our conversation, my French friend displayed how lost this world is. The idea that merely being a good person and doing good deeds for others not being enough to go to Heaven was something he just could not grasp. He wants to know the truth. That is why he decided to start reading the Bible. He is in search of the truth. But he isn't the only one. He showed me that everyone is wanting to do good and is in search of the truth. The problem is us. We have made a million different religions and everyone is telling a different truth. No one knows what to believe. We have taken what we like from different religions and adapted it to fit our lives. The truth however lies in God's living Word; not in the ideas of man. But even we, as Christians, have driven people away, made people question the truth of Christ due to our actions and allowed tolerance to spread in a way that downplays and negates the truth of Christ. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely not promoting anything harsh or radical. However, I am beginning to see a desperate need for the truth to be spread. People are lost and hungry for spiritual guidance and I am kicking myself in the butt because I am not saying anything. I am so afraid of making someone angry or loosing someone's friendship, that I choose not to share the truth I know and love.
Having these conversations in Peru encourages me that a spiritual conversation doesn't have to be hard or something you loose friends over. And I have no power over whether someone chooses to believe. That is the Lord's job. He just asks us to share so all people will have had the opportunity to at least hear the good news of the Gospel.
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6
I would challenge everyone to open the Word and read it with an open heart, allowing the Spirit to work. Once you experience the love of Christ, you will never turn back.
