Well I recently returned from my 4th or 5th trip to the incredible island of Cuba. As I reflect on this visit, I realize how inspired I am by the faith, generosity and deep relational community of the Cuban people.
I travel with International Solid Rock to bring humanitarian aid and to serve the people. As such, we do not stay in the resorts nor do we spend much time in the resort and tourist areas. Instead, we are traveling to Cuban homes delivering needed items and encouragement.
We also visit many home churches and get to participate in their worship services, prayer time and community ministry.
With every trip, I am deeply humbled by the sincerity and purity of the Cuban people’s faith. It makes me reflect on my own faith, which, as an American, I sometimes unknowingly tie to prosperity or comfort. I realize how often I feel disappointed or frustrated when God doesn’t act according to my expectations.
And then I visit my friends in Cuba….
Where it is a struggle to find food and basic necessities…
Where they sing loud and proud, and give generously in their worship services…
Despite their struggles.
The daily struggles in Cuba would be considered a gross injustice by American standards and yet they don’t complain and whine about it (sadly, Americans whine all the time), but they trust God in the middle of it.
In many ways their faith in God is much simpler and purer than mine because I can easily become content with my self sufficiency. In addition, I find it easy to praise God as Jehovah Jireh My Provider when I have a pantry full of food. But how would I respond if I didn’t have any food today?
As I look at the struggles of my friends in Cuba, I am disgusted by my shallow desires for pleasure and peace in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I believe God gives us pleasure and peace, but if I were stripped of those things, what would my relationship with God look like?
I admire these fabulous friends in Cuba. They have so many things that I lack: a pure trust in God, deep community and a sacrificial love for others.
Our trips to Cuba are planned to be an encouragement to the local communities and the home churches. Instead, it is me who comes away encouraged and challenged by this resilient body of believers, suffering in so many ways and yet filled with great faith.
So here are 3 things I plan to incorporate more of this year:
Seek God
I want to seek God more. I don’t mean to simply know Him more. I want to seek Him about all the decisions in my day. How does He want me to reply to that email? How does He want me to respond, specifically and purposefully? Too often, I rely on best practices or the proper way to do things. I am fairly self-sufficient so I just do what I am easily able to do. Need some examples?
Let’s talk giving. Giving has become comfortable. We give faithfully and consistently, but I wouldn’t say we give sacrificially. To be honest, I don’t like to sacrifice. I want what I want and usually when I want. True sacrificial giving requires giving something up. Yikes.
Or we can look at behavior in the workplace. Do I seek God for direction about how to reply to that email or do I rely on my reputation and communication skills alone?
Or let’s consider time. I’m willing to serve and help….well just so long as it fits my busy schedule. If the opportunity to serve interrupts my plan, I often miss it because I am too busy being occupied. Am I really generous with my time? Do I allow God to interrupt my day with that friend who talks incessantly about her problem so I can encourage her and be a blessing? In Cuba, they value relationship over all the things. Here in America, I feel like we are often so busy with the things, that we often totally miss the opportunities for relationship.
Be Grateful
I want to be more grateful. Yeah I know, this is pretty popular and even trendy right now, but I haven’t really made this a priority.
A friend recently told me about this app which helps him prioritize being thankful each day. 3 Good Things is on Google Play and Apple. Check it out!
When I travel to Cuba, I am quickly reminded how long my list of things to be grateful for is or should be. We have sooooo many things to be thankful for that people in most other countries only dream about. Be grateful.
Invest in People
I want to invest in relationships. This requires more time and energy than I typically give. Too often I am busy running from one responsibility to another, sprinkling in recreational activities at times. Who has time for relationship? LOL. Relationships take effort!
In fact they do. Relationships also bring great reward.
Many people can look to their close community who stepped up in various ways as they were going through a trial. For me, during times of crisis, I have many stories about how my brothers and sisters in Christ provided the stability and encouragement I needed at the time. What a blessing!
So where do you want to invest more of yourself? Don’t underestimate what you have to offer in relationship with other people…especially the family of God. You may be familiar with that verse about the body of God and how we can’t all be the tongue or the hand, right? (It’s in 1 Corinthians if you want to check it out.) It is important for everyone to be part of the body of Christ, and there are lots of different parts. Some are quite visible, but others are less so. Some of the most impactful people in my life made an impact because I had more than a superficial relationship with them. I saw them in tough times; we cried together; we prayed together; we celebrated together.
As 2025 unfolds, let’s not just settle for good intentions but take bold steps toward real change. May this be a year where we allow God to shape our priorities, deepen our faith, and use us to bless others in ways we never imagined.