Harvard

Recently I met a new friend. I knew she must be talented and very smart... but it wasn't until I looked on Facebook that I realized she had graduated from Harvard. Harvard? Harvard! I've never met anyone who graduated from Harvard! And I keep thinking about her... not that she went to Harvard - but that she didn't say it. In our rounds of "get-to-know-you" talking, it never came up. She had every right to add the words "from Harvard" when she said she had recently graduated. I don't know why she didn't. But I get the feeling that "from Harvard" isn't who she really is. She's not defined by it.

And I'm looking at my life. My achievements. My glory. And how often do I seek praise for those things? So, I didn't go Harvard, but I lived in Haiti for ten years. Aren't you impressed? I have sacrificed a really precious relationship to serve God in Italy. Aren't you impressed? I write Bible studies so people can learn about Jesus. Aren't you impressed?

Don't be.

The thing about Marilinda, is that when I met her, I was impressed by her love... for her family, for her friends, even for me - a stranger.

And in the end that's what people need to be impressed by. In John 13 Jesus said that people will know we belong to Him by how we love.

If you want to go to Harvard - go to Harvard. If you want to go to Haiti - go to Haiti. But don't be defined by it. Be defined by your love.