Amidst the joy and celebration of the holiday season, I was brought to a somber reminder this evening. While preparing dinner for my family I began to hear loud chants coming from Buddhist monks down the road. It was a funeral. A funeral ceremony being performed for a young lady killed just yesterday in an accident. I don’t know the details surrounding her death, but I do know that her time on earth is done.

And then it hit me. It hit me like a ton of bricks. DID I EVER TELL HER ABOUT CHRIST? Did I?? Which house was this? Have we visited them, yet? Had we shared Christ with her family? With her neighbors? With her? 

Suddenly I felt as though my perspective had changed. I’ve been almost consumed with making sure my family has the “essentials” to make a good Thanksgiving celebration. I’ve been worried about whether or not my kids will have opportunity to experience Christmas appropriately. I’ve been focusing my attention in all the wrong areas.

I feel so ashamed. Ashamed that I didn’t tell that young soul about Christ. 

The Lord has blessed me so much in my life. He even allowed me to attend a wonderful Bible College. I learned several different ways to appropriately share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people. I learned how to cultivate relationships with people- even those with different ethnicities. I’ve spent years of my life receiving the proper training and education from God’s word. And yet, I failed.

Khmer people see us out and about all the time. They think we have everything. They think we have everything because we are white, or because we are from America, or because we have more money than many of them. You know what? We DO have everything! Not because of our skin color or the amount in our bank account. We have everything because we have Christ! 

So now, it’s time to change. It’s not about Thanksgiving celebrations, or Christmas presents, or time with friends, or even time with family. It’s about Christ. It’s about making sure that His saving grace is known amongst the people here in Kampong Cham. 

How can I properly relate this to you? How can I give you this same burden for these sweet souls that I feel so deeply in my heart? How? Does it matter to you that ANOTHER one is gone? Forever! We don’t get to try again. We don’t get a second chance when life has passed. It’s final. Does it matter?!
When do the excuses end? More training? More education? More time? More money? 

No, not for me. No more excuses. Only obedience. 

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”