After surviving The World Race you'd think I'd know what "missions" is, right? You'd think after praying and "claiming" my inheritance I'd know where God wants me to go and what He wants me to do.
I'm such a knucklehead. Is all of life going to be like this? (And then I read about all the knuckleheads in the Bible...including the ones most closely following Jesus when he walked the earth . . . ) and I figure the answer is . . . yes.
Is Missions going to work for a giant mission organization with a ton of paperwork and orders from "on high" and more authority above me than I want (but likely need)? Or is missions just packing up, moving out and living "life" somewhere that's not my home?
The answer I think is . . .yes.
Is missions going somewhere that's not my home or is it going to work everyday just like you've been doing for 5, 10, 15, 20+ years? The answer I think is . . .yes.
The reality is whether I'm in Ukraine or Moldova or Kosova or Romania or Gulfport . . . none of those places is my home. This earth is not my home.
I think I can "do" missions with the IMB (Lord willing that they invite me to do so). And I think I can "do" missions by just packing up, moving out and living "life" somewhere.
I thought I had it figured out last year on The World Race. I said back then that I wanted to eventually operate a Mission Base. A place that would be a base of operations for short term missionaries, a place that might turn into an orphanage or a center for street kids, a base from which to do "Incidental" Church Planting. The difference between Intentional Church Planting and Incidental Church Planting in my mind is simply that I don't want to be in a position where my performance is based on the number of churches "I" plant. I want to make friends. Build meaningful relationships. Build Community. Disciple Others. Watch it turn into Church. I don't want to go to bed banging my head everyday because I failed again to "plant" a church.
Does that make sense?
I also had a pretty strong conviction late last year that I wanted to work with the IMB if they would take me. I figure my first couple of years anywhere is going to be spent learning the culture and the language; why not let them pay me while I do that?
At this point I am committed to going as far as I can with the IMB. If they invite me to the interviews I figure I'll learn a whole lot more about my future with them. I can make a fully informed (and hopefully Spirit led) decision after that.
If I don't come over here with them, then I'm thinking I'll come back anyway. Somewhere. Probably at my own expense for a year, under someone's authority, and then see if I my vision is enough to engage others to support me in the future.
2 comments:
Great post!!!
I actually understood all that...
I remember when I was living upstairs at the church... “homeless” in the eyes of some of my friends... (but what a glorious home... I had 24-hour access to the alter in the sanctuary and spent many hours many nights on my face before God...)
Anyway, I was walking downstairs one night, feeling a little sorry for myself, when He popped into my heart and told me as clear as day that my home is in heaven with Him... that everywhere we live or stay on this earth, be it a cardboard box in an alley or the biggest, most outrageously expensive mansion, it’s only a hotel we’re staying at along the way...
And by the time I got to the bottom of those stairs, my heart and thoughts and feelings about home had changed dramatically...
My home here on earth, no matter how fair, is only a glorified hotel room... a place to stay on the way Home...
Missions are like that, too... they are wherever we are... we can just coast on by, doing nothing, or we can be at our Father’s business, wherever it is...
Everywhere you go, little brother, there will be people who will need you and the Light you have to share, the heart and service you have to offer... maybe it will be there where you are this minute... maybe somewhere else... and maybe back home in America... it’s sad but true that we need missionaries here, too... but I’m trusting God to be with you always, showing you the way, opening the doors He wants you to go through, providing your needs and lots of your wants, too...
I love you...
what a beautiful comment by your sister.
there are days when i like that the answer is "yes" to the question "what is ministry/missions?"
but then there are other days when i really just wish He would be a little more clear/less complex. ha.
love that you're out there. he is so pleased with your heart. and i think that's what matters the most.
love you brother.
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