The way that people refer to the “mission field” quite nonchalantly in conversation makes me laugh, like it’s some far off, yet strangely precise, geographical location on a map. Usually the “field” being referenced implies anywhere that someone’s been to build Kingdom. For example, it would be normal to hear a racer say that they just spent a year on the field. But really, I haven’t spent a year on the field- I’ve spent 24! You’ve been on the field for as many years as you are old. It doesn’t require a giant backpack and a plane ticket to enter the mission field. All it takes is getting out of bed. I think there is a necessary next step of acquiring the mental attitude to label the ground you’re standing on as such, but that doesn’t seem like too tough of a prerequisite.
Or does it?
Being in other countries with the primary purpose of service to others for the sake of the gospel made it really easy to define the ground I was standing on as a mission field. It was really easy to keep sharing the love of Christ at the forefront of my mind when I was waking up to go do ministry- regardless of what it looked like. Life now is about creating our own ministry with a lot less structure than…
9am-12pm Home visits
2pm-4pm English class
4pm-5pm Intercessory prayer
It’s interesting to think about ministry at home because it’s just as much of a mission field- and one that I’d argue is much harder to bear fruit from. But why? I remember thinking it would be wonderful to get home because those around me would speak the same language. I could just easily and boldly strike up a conversation with anyone without reliance on a translator.
Since I’ve been back, there were a few days I spent at home alone in Kansas. One evening, I took my dog to the park for a long walk. As we were heading back to the car, there were these two old ladies sitting at a picnic bench together smiling at Malley and told me how pretty of a dog I had! I said thank you and walked onward to the car. World Race Julie would have struck up a conversation with them- no question. I would have been so happy to have Malley as a buffer for conversation, and would have been thrilled that they were the first to initiate. They spoke my language, I had no where to be, and frankly, I normally find it really easy to connect with old people. I wasn’t tired or on introvert overload- heck I hadn’t talked to another human being in days. Normally I’d say what makes America such a hard mission field is the hustle and bustle of every day life. People are usually so mission-minded with their own agendas and lead fairly uninterruptible lives. But that evening, I didn’t even have that excuse. These women looked like they would have found it delightful to be ‘interrupted.’ Why didn’t I stop?
I repeatedly asked myself this question for days. Not because I felt ashamed or was out to self-deprecate, but rather for the sake of analyzing why there’s this internal shift in how I approach my external environment. I know this period of transition is crucial. A message highlighted for us over the course of the race was, “how you end one season is how you start the next one.” Transition itself is a season. It’s unstructured, awkward, full of uncertainty, and usually marked by isolation even if it’s filled with people. The enemy likes to attack in isolation, so knowing that, and having decided I’m kind of over the whole learn the same lesson again and again thing, I want to position myself well now that I’m home. It’s all about mindset.
A couple nights before leaving our final country, the Lord gave me the verse 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
I’m honestly still not sure why I didn’t stop. But I think it has something to do with how engaged I am in life. A quote by one of my favorite authors comes to mind:
“Being engaged is a way of doing life, a way of living and loving. It’s about going to extremes and expressing the bright hope that life offers us, a hope that makes us brave and expels darkness with light. That’s what I want my life to be all about – full of abandon, whimsy, and in love.” -Bob Goff
I lived life very engaged on the race and want to continue to do so. I don’t necessarily think I was walking in disobedience by not talking to the ladies at the picnic bench or that it was sinful to pass them by. But I do know that the Lord will use us wherever we are for His glory if we are open and willing. He places so many occasions to glorify Him in our paths, so we should take full advantage of those opportune moments. I confidently believe that we can and will see the Lord demonstrate His faithfulness more precisely when we engage in them. Doing so creates more space for Him to show His nature AND cultivates deeper intimacy with Him.
Side note (because this is one of my most valuable take-aways from the race): There’s a way to cultivate intimacy outside of quiet time. I, as well as several of my friends, have walked through seasons where quiet time is more of a discipline than a delight. Sometimes connecting with the Lord by reading scripture, praying, journaling, etc. feels forced or awkward, like there’s this disconnect in the relationship or immovable wall up. I used to think the only way to grow in intimacy with the Lord was in this “just me and Him” time. But there’s so many other ways build upon it. Our purpose is TO love and His purpose IS love. It’s important that we receive His purpose to fuel ours. Fill up to overflow, you know? So why not put them together? Intimacy will grow when we are courageous in sharing His goodness. I believe a biblical demonstration of this is when God created Adam and said it wasn’t good. Adam was perfectly capable of having an intimate relationship with God, just Adam and God. But God created Eve and called it good. He created us as relational beings. We were born to do life among other people. He shows us in so many stories throughout the Bible that He will use other people to draw us closer to him. Really we’re all just walking each other home!
Ps- it’s been good to be back! I spent a little while in Kansas before heading to Oklahoma and each reunion has been the sweetest! My highlight so far was meeting Caroline, being tackled by Everett, and staying with Grandma and Grampa!
Love to all. Thanks for all your prayers!
-Julie
