When I first knew I was called to a life of full time missions, I quickly became impatient in waiting for the assignment to come. In my mind, missionary work was overseas. In my mind, Americans had Jesus at their disposal and were throwing Him away. In my mind, I wasn’t a missionary if I was still at home… Isn’t my mind so silly…
I thought life wouldn’t begin for me until I was on a plane to anywhere but here. Now that I’m doing what I thought I always wanted, I realized something: The World Race is going to be awesome. Its going to be incredible. Its going to flip my world upside down…
But its not going to be the greatest adventure of my life.
Too often I can live for the next milestone, as if it will somehow bring the satisfaction I’ve been craving. The truth is that when I view today as less than tomorrow I choose to live in a false reality that always leads to disappointment. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want to sit around for the rest of my life waiting for it to begin. My life has already begun. Each day was written intricately by God. My purpose in life is not on its way, it is here & I am responsible to steward what has been entrusted to me no matter how small it may seem.
So if The World Race is not the greatest adventure, then what is? What could possibly top an opportunity like this?!
Reckless abandon.
Living a life that is just insanely, recklessly, doesn’t-make-sense abandoned to Jesus Christ is the absolute greatest adventure life has to offer. And it’s the greatest adventure in North America, and Asia, and Africa, and in the sky on the plane to the next destination, and in the local coffee shop, and in the grocery store, and the Thai market, and the ministry host home, and the gas station, and the family reunion, and the Walmart down the road that has the only RedBox in town…Its an adventure because I never know what He will ask of me. Its an adventure because He’s unexpected and dangerous and so good all at the same time.
My purpose began when I said yes to His invitation “follow me.”
So, I’m asking God to give me eyes to see His purpose for me in the day-to-day because I honestly just can’t see it on my own. And if I can’t here, then do I really think it will be different when I’m overseas? Faithfully, He stands behind me and whispers “This is the way, walk in it. There’s that homeless man. There’s that woman crying. There’s those goofy neighborhood kids who just want someone to play basketball with them. Go. Love like Jesus.” And it’s been really fun so far…especially the pickup basketball game.
God has given me an opportunity for the next few months of life in America to be spent enjoying fellowship with Him, abandoning my own comfortable agenda, partnering with His plan for the day, and loving like Jesus.
Adventure no longer awaits! It is at my disposal when walking hand-in-hand with my Dad!
