“Why do you have to go out the country to serve?”
“Serving starts at home.”
“You want to raise $17,000 to travel?”
“It’s great to travel when you can pay your own way.”
Each statement haunted me every time I was asked about my missional journey. It often left me defensive and angry. I wasn’t some girl who created Gofundme accounts and solicited money off social media from people to take great photos, eat good, and make memories that had no eternal value. It wasn’t until I was sitting in a puddle of tears that I stopped and asked myself, “why missions? Why me?”
Growing up I was never able to shake the passion I had for traveling. If I wanted to see a beautiful scenery all I had to do was pull up a picture. But it was more than saying I had stamps throughout my passport, eating exotic foods, and taking the perfect instagram picture.
I remember vivid fall Saturday morning after my mother made the breakfast of a champ and the only good deed I could attempt to do was sit on the couch. There was a commercial that often played on the weekends showing frail sickened children and a women pleading to people to donate money each month to save a child’s life. It was in that moment that I found myself crying while talking to God and asking God to help me help them. I knew they needed more than just food and clean water. I knew they needed Him.
Two decades later I find myself praying the same prayer with even more passion. When you experience the love of God you want to share with as many people as you can.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:35-40
So what happens when home isn’t exactly defined by location?
Home is where God’s heart is. Home is where I serve.
“She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” Prov. 31:20
When I think about every poor person, every girl and boy stuck in human trafficking, every brokenhearted and hopeless person, and when the next person asks me why missions… why Candace I am captivated by this scripture,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3
