Raymond was on a world tour, stopping in to visit us before moving on to Kenya where he would meet with others supported by the congregation and finishing up in the Philippines where his father-in-law shared the gospel for 50 years. He would then move on around the globe back to Texas.
We wanted to be able to share with Raymond what we do and were especially thankful that he could meet many of the members of the congregation we serve with. He joined us for various Bible studies in the week and spoke on Sunday morning. But we were also thankful for the other moments in the week we could share.
We walked around Maastricht to show him the city where we live. Scott can do a pretty good tourist tour of the city and we saw quite a few of the things most visitors want to see: the medieval walls, Roman ruins, churches turned into all sorts of other things and the two main church buildings right downtown. In the evening we drove to Eindhoven for our monthly singing there where Raymond could also meet the members in that congregation.
On Thursday we visited our Bible camp and enjoyed the beautiful ride down there through the countryside, before heading back to the city for another Bible study in the evening. On Friday Raymond was able to go golfing in Belgium and The Netherlands on the same day and same course. And then we finished the week with a visit walking around Brussels. All of these days were blessed with beautiful sunshine - quite a treat for our part of Europe.
On each of these days I was touched by how we were able to share information about the world and places, but were also able to see how important transformation in Jesus Christ truly is. There are so many places in Europe that are culturally Christian - meaning not Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. But people who choose daily to live a life full of grace in Jesus Christ is truly amazing.
On the Saturday in Brussels we were able to meet up with a former exchange student who spent some month with Raymond back in 2003. She has experienced all sorts of things in her life since then and is willing to think about what it really means to find Jesus. At a concert on Sunday, Raymond was able to talk with a man who was not really interested in religion - having lost the little bit of faith he had as a young man growing up.
Choice is something that we all have in our lives. Time moves on, sometimes far more quickly than we even could have guessed until we stop and look. But if you can see the choice, you can still make it. And people do. Some consider information the pinnacle, the top of the mountain.
But information only brings us to the choices we must and can make. Transformation is what comes from choosing to follow Christ, from allowing grace to actually touch your daily life. That was beautiful to see in the various encounters this past week with Raymond and the people we met.
Are you informed? Or transformed?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
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