A few days ago, during some down time at work, I snuck into the employee break room, out of the prying eyes of the surveillance cameras that the restaurant is littered with, and whipped out my order pad. I flipped to a blank page and scribbled: How to raise *$18,000. I stared at the page blankly. I then underlined it and added a colon and continued to stare. How does one going about raising $18,000 anyway? Just the number of digits in that figure is overwhelming. The restaurant noises bustled in the background, reminding me I should get back to work, and I thought I could hear the hostess walking a new table into my section.
Sell everything you own.
My heart started pounding as a string of items that I love flitted through my mind, but just as I decided to dismiss the idea, I heard it again. Gentle. Insistent. I recognized the voice of my Savior.
Sell everything you own. Then follow me.
Matthew 19 came to my mind.
21 "If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."
How like my Papa to challenge me to something He challenged a young man to so many centuries ago.
22 That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go.
It was then that I decided I would not be like the young man. I will not hold so tightly to material objects that I would miss out on the radical adventures He has planned for my future. I will sell everything I own and will follow Him to the ends of the earth.
*The actual cost of the trip is $15,500 but I will have to raise more than that to cover the cost of internation medical insurance, travel to and from training, travel to the start of the trip and travel back from the trip, as well as money to buy necessary gear. My estimate is around $18,000.
