Ruined

Going overseas ruined me.

It ruined the way I eat soup...
I can no longer eat soup without slurping or at least not without a very concentrated effort not to.

It ruined the way I cross the street...
I sometimes walk out in front of cars expecting them to simply move around me.

It ruined the way I wave someone to "come here"...palms down always.

It ruined my ability to drink American coffee...kidding, my love of coffee is way too *strong* for that to ever happen, but I will forever think cà phê sữa đá is far superior to all other coffee.

It ruined the way I see the world...

It ruined me in a way that sometimes I miss being overseas so much it hurts.

It ruined me because I can no longer claim that I didn't know of suffering around the world...suffering of all kinds, but the most devastating one being eternal suffering.

It ruined me because I can no longer hear the fact that over 2 billion people still have little to no Gospel access without having a flood of images of the so many beautiful but lost people I met overseas play over and over in my mind.

It ruined my plans, hopes, and dreams...and I could not be more thankful.

I can't think of any other cause I'd rather be ruined for than the cause of Christ. Will it be costly? Absolutely, but so was the cross.

Lord, continue to ruin me for the advancement of Your Kingdom.

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."