Mangos

We were trying to cool off in the warm tropical afternoon by soaking in the local swimming hole. Our mission to the Dominican Republic had occupied our morning with Vacation Bible School and we were all ready for a break. A waterfall cascaded thirty feet or more feet into a pool that a few locals knew about, including Daniel who grew up here. He was standing on the bank and was now holding a brown bag I had not noticed before. He reached in and pulled out a fresh mango and tossed it to me.

I thought I knew how to eat a mango and it has always required a knife. I must have had a questioning look on my face as I held it up and looked at Daniel. He carried another mango with him back into the water and then said, “Watch.” He bit into the mango and began pealing it with his teeth. Mangos can be messy but there was no need to worry about that surrounded by flowing water. I followed his lead and found it to be the most delicious mango I had ever eaten. Not only that, I found that it was fun to eat a mango the way the natives did.

It always amazes me how something as small as eating a mango or sharing a meal can help you relate to someone. Being able to relate can prepare you for sharing the gospel. When I talk to children I sit on the floor and get at their eyelevel. That helps them see me and helps me see them where they are. When I meet someone new I want to know what he or she likes. If I can find a way to identify with them it will help me communicate the gospel. It is not enough to be heard we also need to be understood.

Lottie Moon was criticized in her day for dressing in Chinese attire. Yet, she reached the people and today we remember her for being a visionary as well as a missionary. Paul said, “I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” (1 Cor. 9:22, HCSB)

Look around you and see if you can discover new ways to relate to the people you meet. What can we do, what changes can we make that will help us present the gospel to those who need to hear and understand? Are we willing to become all things to all people for the gospel?

Bro. Robin