"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)
I'm discovering that working with refugees is a job that requires being reminded of the above verse, and more broadly the difficult but liberating truth that we are not the savior. If the gospel wasn't true, I would go crazy working with a population of such great need. From a worldly perspective there are countless cases of hopeless futures, but from the perspective of a loving God, countless opportunities for lives to be transformed and people to find true joy, regardless of their situation.
I was able to clearly see this truth played out in the life of a new refugee friend. We sat in a coffee shop together as he recounted to me all the painful details of his life story. I was very surprised to find out he had been a part of the young men's refugee shelter at which I teach English, though he left before I arrived. So many of the boys living there have no hope for a future, and take sometimes deadly trips to get to another country. This new friend was no different, but he had so much joy in spite of his seemingly hopeless situation. Tears came to his eyes as he expressed his desire to share with everyone how Jesus has changed his life and given him an unshakeable hope, so that they too may have that hope. I went away from that conversation convinced more than ever that there is no greater joy than that found in the gospel.