The Newbie Tour Guide

After nearly 6 weeks of being here we have received our first visitors. My parents arrived on Tuesday and let me tell you, I am loving having them here. It has only been 2 days but we have done a few little excursions and have plans for many many more. Considering my relative newness to this Island the job of tour guide can be overwhelming. I have encountered questions upon questions to which I can only respond "I am not sure", "I have no idea" or something sounding quite similar to those phrases. Thankfully my wonderful guests are patient with their novice tour guide and have not questioned my lack of knowledge.


I have observed that being a tour guide requires more than just knowledge about the place. A tour guide, nay a good tour guide requires experience within the place they are giving the tour. A good tour guide reflects the beauty, amazement and history of the place through their genuine excitement and love for the town. Imagine the tour guide who is bored with their town, whose tone is flat and lackluster. Imagine what would happen to the excitement of the tourists, if they do not see or hear genuine feelings from the tour guide their excitement would wane and by the end it would match the level of the bored tour guide.


As my parents have been here I have conveyed excitement about things I have experienced, or things I want to experience. I trust they have witnessed my excitement about my new home, and hope that they will in turn learn to love it too.


As I look back at most of my life as a Christian, I see an analogy of myself as a tour guide as well. My "tourists" have been those who are checking out to see what Christianity is about, those who have been disillusioned by the Church and those who maybe have just lost their excitement about their faith. I have not always been an excited or impassioned tour guide, in fact I fear I have often been the bored or frustrated tour guide and if I could I would take those moments, days and months back I would. What I want to be is the excited and passionate tour guide. I want to share my experience knowing God's love, and my passion to show God's love. Being a newbie tour guide for my new home has made me realize that where ever I find myself I am always a tour guide for my eternal home.


Shine On my Friends