Some people say,
“wow, you get to travel all over the world! You get to experience different countries, do
different things, talk to different people, live a glorious life!” And others say, “your life is like a
never ending vacation. You get to see
exotic places, you get to eat exotic foods, you get to meet exotic people, you
get to…”. My heart cries when I
hear this. Just because it’s different
then their daily style, then it’s assumed to be more glamorous. What is one dirt from another dirt, isn’t it
all from the same earth! What is one
city from another city, wasn’t it all built by man! What is one foreigner from a neighbor, aren’t
they both people! This revelation has
struck my heart like an explosion of fire!! The life of a missionary is glorious but not in the context that most
people interpret that idea. The
gloriousness of a missionary’s life is not the lifestyle or the opportunities
on this world but the beauty and majesty of glorifying the Lord in heaven. This mindset of bringing glory to God applies
to everything we do on a daily basis. Jesus would say “you have eyes but you’re blind…”If glamour
was viewed as macheting grass, picking up mounds of rotten trash in a land field,
shoveling rocks… if glamour is sleeping on concrete or in tents, living with
mosquitoes, spiders, bed-bugs, roaches… if glamour is being excited when there
is a toilet seat that doesn’t flush rather than a hole in the ground to hover
over… if glamour is buying a bottled water instead of getting sick for a week
from drinking the natural water…if glamour is riding a bus with no shocks
rather than walking… if glamour is when you try to minister to a man and they
just stare at your body like a piece of meat, like a toy to use, or like a dog
to kick away… if glamour is having to choke down that horrible tasting food and
your vomit because this family sacrificed their child’s only meal for that day
to bless you…etcetera . That is the
glamour of a missionary’s life. How do I
explain. How will I show. How can I describe this in a way that give
true understanding and honesty to missionaries. I rejoice and celebrate when cool things happen like a nice restaurant,
ice cream, a day of nothingness, sightseeing, spending a night in a nice hotel;
these things are blessings from God’s goodness and favor. These moments are when God says
“rest” and “good job my good and faithful servant”.
