Woo! My first blogging assignment for the WORLD RACE!!!!! I am incredibly pumped, so here it goes…my thoughts on “How I Was Called to the Mission Field”:
First and foremost, I would like to say that I wholeheartedly believe that I was called to the mission field the moment I accepted Christ to be the Lord over my life. I gave away my so called “rights” to myself, and I surrendered my life at His feet. That act of surrender leads me into a life that is obedient to His word. I often hear people musing about their search to find the Lord’s will for their life. I fully understand those sentiments; I have been there, and I’m sure that I will be again. However, I am learning more and more as I follow Him that the majority of His will for us has already been laid out in His word. There’s not a lot of guessing involved. In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus says this: “…all authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Well, that sounds like a command to me (and thankfully, one that is followed by the promise of His constant presence!). I really believe that command means that all Christians, no matter where they reside, are called to the mission field. I have been on the mission field since my acceptance of Christ as a teenager. Thus far, I have simply been on the mission field here in Georgia: in my school, church, work place, or wherever I find myself.
Okay, so that being said… I understand that the question probably refers to the idea of being called to the international mission field, and more specifically the World Race. Well, I have always been a traveler at heart. It’s just in my blood, and I can’t help it. The first memory I have of wanting to be involved in international missions is a time when I was a young child in my family’s church in Charleston, SC. I stood next to my Mom in church service one Sunday as the pastoral staff commissioned a group of people who were soon to be ministering in Haiti. The pastor explained the spiritual darkness and poverty that overwhelmed much of the Haitian people, and I simply looked up at my Mom and asked “Those people don’t know Jesus, do they?”. As my Mom explained that many of them don’t, the solution seemed simple to me: LET’S GO!!!! I’ve wanted to go to Haiti to share Christ’s love ever since, so it’s crazy that it’s on my tentative Race route, huh????? Okay, back on topic…
Ever since then , the fire for international missions has remained inside of me. It’s something I can’t even explain. I have come to learn that the Lord makes it incredibly apparent when He has something specific planned for you. This is how I know that He is calling me to international missions: the second I start talking about it, looking at pictures, hearing testimonies, or even reading scriptures about the nations, something comes over me that I can’t explain. I find myself weeping. It’s like there’s a fire in my bones. The Spirit of God makes it so apparent to me that He has called me to the nations. He has also provided me with gifts and abilities that I believe He will use.
Early in my college career, the Lord made it very evident to me (through a series of events) that He wanted me to become a nurse. Having spent a large portion of my younger years caring for my mother at home, I was very skeptical of the idea. I wanted to be done with caretaking responsibilities; I had more selfish ambitions in mind. However, the Lord makes His will known, and I finally followed in obedience. I am now working as a Registered Nurse in Athens, GA. Various people have mentioned to me on multiple occasions that nursing is the perfect set of skills for me to possess, because these skills are needed everywhere in the world. I even remember my father comparing my occupation with that of the apostle Paul at one point: just as Paul could use his tent making skills in every region he went to and thus begin ministry, I can do the same with my nursing skills. God has made it so apparent through His timely preparation that He is strongly calling me to the mission field. My favorite image in scripture is the image of “every tribe, tongue, and nation” worshipping our Lord together. That really is the cry of my heart, and I believe that the Lord will bless that desire! Praise HIM!
