Fun and relaxation are foreign concepts for any college student who wants to graduate on time from LeTourneau University. Thinking back to last February, when I came for a scholarship competition, I find one of the questions ironic. The first question in the interview was a shock to me. I was completely unprepared for what the gentleman asked me. He asked, “If you had one full day to do anything you wanted, what would you do?” Taken back by the question, I faltered as my mind ran wildly trying to find an answer. Part of my trouble in finding an answer lay in my practical mind. I had long since realized I could never do just whatever I wanted for an entire day. I groped for a reasonable answer. What in the world would I do if I had no limits on what I could do? The final answer I gave was far from satisfactory in my own mind.
Ever-practical, I choose to give an answer that was actually very possible and did not cost hardly anything. I slowly, formed into words an idea I had thought I would like to actually do sometime in the next few months before banishing myself to a country lacking in mountains. A whole day, just my best friend, Heather, and I spending time together in the mountains seemed a fabulous idea for fun and relaxation. Not at all creative, I am fairly certain the four individuals interviewing me thought my reply was dull and below average in excitement content. Looking around, I plainly saw a general consensus of unimpressed people. They all wrote down some little note about my answer, but no one wrote anything much. I felt a great sinking in my stomach. I knew any hope of a good impression and smooth interview had just dropped through the floor. In retrospect, I know my answer told those interviewers exactly what they wanted to know: level of imagination, amount of spontaneous creativity, intensity of selfishness, and ability to react in unexpected circumstances. Basically, I had failed from the start, but the question stuck with me. Honestly, what would I do if I could choose to do absolutely anything I wanted for a whole day?
Although I love going to the mountains, now that I have been to another side of the world and seen how the people there live, I would not want to waste an entire day on just pleasing myself. I discovered how much joy can be found in working hard to help someone else. When anyone asks me what I liked best about Swaziland, my simple, completely honest reply is the people I met, but really what I liked most was serving, encouraging, and learning about the people I met. If I now had one day, to do anything, I would go back to Swaziland: to hug Make Maria, shake hands with Domisani, witness door-to-door with Thomi, sing a hymn with Dumisa, jump rope with the little girls of Bethel, and hold a sleeping child while his mother prepares dinner. I just want the people, especially the Christians, of Swaziland to know I have not forgotten them. If only for one day, I want to bring the joy back into their faces. I want all of Swaziland to know although the country is small, it is still significant and God still desires to have the Swazi people accept Him. What I would do with a day given to me for enjoyment would be to give joy to others.
