This month I visited Chimborazo, one of Ecuador’s volcanoes and the highest mountain in the country. Every time I have the privilege of visiting spectacular places like this, I’m amazed by the greatness, creativity, beauty, and power of the Lord who created them. This time, I found myself reflecting on a Bible passage that has recently become one of my favorites: “For in [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16–17, emphasis added).
Just as much Chimborazo was created in Christ, you and I were too, and in Him we hold together. In other words, Christ is the One who sustains us. Each day, He gives us life, breath, and provision. The God who created the entire universe is not a distant God, but One who is closer than the air in our lungs.
That truth is what I long to share with everyone, especially with the women we serve. I want them to know that the strength that has always sustained them has a name, and His name is Jesus.
A week ago, I had the opportunity to share this in an unexpected way. A friend from church and I were talking and having coffee at a café near my house when a man approached us with his wife and their 9-year-old son. He explained that his family was going through a difficult time, that they didn’t have anything to eat, and asked if we could help them by buying food staples like rice and oil. After talking for a little while and getting to know them better, we treated the family to some coffee and dessert so they could relax for a bit while my friend and I went to a nearby supermarket to buy food for them.
When we returned with bags full of groceries, their faces lit up. It was beautiful and powerful because as we handed them the bags, we were able to tell them that the provision did not come from us, but from Jesus. We explained that Christ sees them and loves them, and that He is the One who sustains them. And when we place our trust in Him, Jesus satisfies our deepest hunger with His presence.
In that moment, I experienced the power of the way Jesus loves. When He walked this earth, He always saw the people everyone else ignored. He took time to listen to them, to get to know them, and to eat with them. He met their physical needs, healing and feeding them, and He also met their spiritual need by revealing Himself to them. And after this experience, I realized that He has been teaching me to do the same.