Examining Motivations: A Practice

I  am sitting in a coffee shop in southern Alabama. All around me, I listen in. I don't mean to, really. But I can't help it. January is a slower month for me and I welcome it because of how busy the fall and December are for our organization. I am working on a few things for Konbit, boring things that don't keep my attention. Naturally, I am distracted by the pull of conversation in all directions. 

I hear three different conversations about the same general idea: going into the world for "global missions." It is something that, naturally, piques my interest. I listen closely. One crew of two men are planning a golf tournament for global missions. One group of ladies are sewing and talking about missions. A small group is talking about their upcoming trip to Uganda. 

Is this you? Are you thinking of where you'll go on a service trip this year? 

One thing that I want to ask all of them is just more about their ideas, their hearts. Far be it for me to judge what's going on, but I often wonder what the motivation is to go. My own story started with wanting to make an imprint on the world. I was motivated by my faith which I really believed (and still believe) calls me to take care of people and use whatever tools I have to serve them. But, my motivation also was that I wanted to do something cool and difficult. I wanted to share my life with the world.  

I think that I've worked through a lot of my own motivation because I wanted to. When you have privilege, you can actively choose to live in denial of your whole existence. I have had conversations with people coming on a trip with Konbit Haiti who have looked at me and said that they "don't have any privilege." This is just not true and it does no one any favors to ignore who and what you are. 

Listening to these guys in the coffee shop, I wondered two things, and I think they are useful for any kind of service trip or service in an area that is different or more impoverished than you: What is your motivation to "go" and do? Also, what is your motivation to learn about yourself and your own role in this exchange? 

This is something to explore in more than one blog post, for sure. But, I want to leave us with some things for consideration as we serve and love one another. Journal or ask yourself these questions as you move into what is hopefully a more conscious space: 

1.) What are three traits I would say the people I am going to help/serve have? 

2.) What are three traits I have in my own life and experience that I believe I am bringing to this exchange? 

3.) What am I most excited about?

4.) Why am I excited about this?

5.) Why do I believe this is something I should do?

6.) ...but why? (Go deeper than question 5)

7.) Do I believe I have skills that can be useful to people I'm serving?

8.) What do I hope to learn from them in this exchange?

9.) What does the organization say about their interaction with those they serve? Do you see dignity represented there?

10.) What are three things I can do to make sure I honor the dignity found in each human being, no matter who they are? 

I'd love to hear what you learned from this exercise!