Saturday, October 27, 2012

Missions. Who? Me?

When life really doesn't make sense, sometimes you need to take a step back. Step back and be quiet. There've been times I've thought of writing and yet knew I wasn't ready. I think it's important to at least partially wrap your brain around something before trying to put it into words. And then there's times that giving it a voice helps it to unravel and begin to make some sense.

As a family we've always told the Lord we would be, above all else, obedient to his call...to his will for our lives. In the past that's meant serving in any and every ministry capacity. I'm a type A personality, so I'm good with that. Five years ago, obedience meant a move to Texas. I'd lived in Idaho most of my life and I was ready for a new adventure. While leaving was difficult, there was a sense of excitement at what was to come. A bit harder call to obedience, but still doable.

There've been other things here in Texas that have stretched our definition of obedience and taught us too many lessons to count. Looking back I can see how each of those things was preparing us for something greater...something harder.

Five years later, his call to obedience just got harder. Harder as in, "Do you really mean what you said about obeying me in all things?" harder.

Mike was blessed here in Texas with a close to six figures sort of job. We have a beautiful home (with a kitchen that, quite frankly, I'm in love with). We live within two miles of all our family's best friends and spend six months out of the year hanging out at the pool. We live in one of the most affluent parts of the country. North Dallas is all about the money and there is plenty of it. By the world's standards, we are doing well. But the world's standards don't cut it for us as Christians, or at least it shouldn't.

Missions has always been a part of Mike's heart. He's felt that call very strongly for the last few years, but wasn't sure what it meant and so he waited. Love that man.  I wish I could say I waited, faithfully praying for him to see what the Lord would bring about, but I didn't. To me "missions" meant Africa. Why is that always the case? I was quite comfortable here and felt I was doing just what the Lord called me to do. Nope. Missions was NOT on my radar, nor did I want it to be.

But it was on the Lord's. I will shorten this part of the story, but suffice it to say God has kicked us out of our incredibly comfortable life and set us on another "adventure". We're headed back to Idaho to work for Mission Aviation Fellowship. We're going back without the big salary, leaving our beautiful home with granite countertops and saying good-bye to our troupe of amazing friends. Really, by the world's standard we're going back empty handed. I'm so incredibly thankful we live by God's standards, because instead, we are going back with hands full of an amazing family who's on this adventure with us, hearts full of countless memories and spirits full of anticipation at what's to come on this God adventure.

Exciting, terrifying, gut-wrenching, makes you giddy all at the same time? Yep, that pretty much sums it up. If following Jesus whole heartedly feels anything like jumping off a cliff and trusting him to catch you then we've just taken an awfully big leap. Now it's his turn.





x

2 comments:

  1. What?! Oh my goodness. I'm so sad, excited, thrilled, depressed, blessed....and MORE!

    I'll be praying for you all. Really, I'm mostly excited. :)

    Lisa~

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  2. How awesome is that! What an amazing God we serve that He prunes us, bringing us out of our comfort zone, so that we can bear more fruit for His Kingdom. This blog reminds me that this world is not our home. Sometimes it's a vacation and sometimes a spiritual warzone, but ultimately we have an eternal home to look forward to...

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