Today’s post in the Fruits of the Spirit series is faithfulness. Faithfulness is devotion; it is not wandering from commitments or promises, no matter how hard it gets. It is being someone that others can rely on.
The greatest tests of faithfulness are changes in time and location. When we first get energized by an opportunity to commit, it appears that remaining faithful will come easy. We promise to never forget a story, a face, or an experience and to live by what we learned from them from that moment forward. In that moment, remaining faithful is the path of least resistance. However, when time moves on and we go back to our normal location and routine, it becomes more and more difficult. Hence, faithfulness is a fruit that comes as a result of strong character and resolve. We remain faithful by choosing to carry our promises in our heart and fighting off temptation to break them.
My great test of faithfulness to the Kawama citizens and potential citizens came as soon as I left the village. While in the village, we put in as much time and effort to make as great of a difference as we can, because that is why we were there. They could rely on me to do the work at hand. When separated by time and distance, our group had a charge. We had to never forget the stories and people we met and to try our best to make sure that more have the opportunity at a better life. We promised to tell our friends and family about our experiences and to bring more awareness to the needs of the Zambian people. Our Elon professors, Tom and Steve, had promised to return and build more houses for the Zambian people. We all had the challenge to be faithful to that commitment through lapses in time and distance.
In the United States, the path of least resistance is to go with the flow, follow the crowd, and abide by WIIFM (“What’s In It For Me”). While many want to hear about Victoria Falls and the elephants on safari, not as many want to hear about the greatest needs of the Zambian people. Overcoming this resistance is hard, but doing so shows integrity to character. Whenever anyone asks me about my Zambia trip, I start out by describing the work we did with our partner, Habitat for Humanity-Zambia, through the Periclean Scholars group, and then I go into details about the safari and the falls.
Our faithfulness has proven fruitful. The Periclean Scholars, including leaders Tom and Steve, returned to Zambia to build more houses. We continue to tell friends and family about the Periclean journey. We constantly look for more ways to leave a positive influence on everyone with whom we have the opportunity to work. Our partners know they can count on our word. We rely on each other - and the strength of the PSAA reinforces our faithfulness.
I choose to remain faithful to the future homeowners in Kawama village and to help them attain the dream of their own homes through many outlets, such as this blog. My schedule in July (and continuing into August) continues to get busier, and my time is limited - but my commitment to the Periclean partners keeps me writing strong. I have also decided to remain faithful to those who participated in the Chitenge Challenge. I will honor those who have given, who are expecting me to wear a chitenge, by wearing one to work when I reach the $1,500 mark - whenever that may be.
The Periclean Scholars program has taught me to be more faithful to myself and to honor where I came from and the opportunity to give back. Faithfulness is a quality that transcends time and space when practiced to its truest. I will always remain faithful to the village of Kawama and to the Periclean partners, for helping to grow the fruit of faithfulness within me.
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