Mar. 4, 2008 - How a mission trip I DIDN'T go on changed my thinking.
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed my son's guest blogging for a week. Time for me to wipe the dust off my blogging fingers and get back to work. I've been writing lists of things I'd like to blog about...as I find the time.
I wanted to comment on missions, and then will (probably) go on to other topics. I know that I didn't go to Ecuador...but even having 2 family members go and bringing all the stories back of life after life spiritually lost, of living on $8/day, of lice and worms being a way of life, I can help but be changed.
We are so blessed in America...I really mean that. We hear it a lot but how often do we actually stop to think about where God has allowed us to be born? Most of us don't TRULY appreciate what we have. Instead, we spend time surfing ebay for MORE, looking at catalogs for MORE, thinking about what color shirt we "need" to match certain pants. What book we "have to have." We are so focused on "getting" and then spend hours trying to clean and organize what we've "gotten." I can see it so well being a scheme of the enemy to distract us from the purpose that God has designed us for. Buying, getting, more and more, then organizing and buying more things to organize the stuff. We're always sorting, dusting, trying to find. We're so busy wasting our time and money on NOTHING, that our lives slip away second by second, not making one ounce of difference for eternity.
In case you don't feel the conviction in my voice, it's there...in my own life. Being again reminded of what the Ecuadorians lives are like....I am able to reflect on what we have. While on the one hand we are "blessed" to live in the US....are we really "blessed" to live chained down and mastered by our own materialism? Is it really a blessing that I have about 12 big plastic crates of clothes that none of my kids are wearing at the moment...that I sort through and wash and dry and fold....and 8 family members who's drawers are overflowing with so many pants and shirts that they don't even stay neat?
Granted, we do typically shop at thrift stores and sale racks, but what is the purpose of finding a good deal on a nice shirt for a child that is only 50 cents when we don't even need another shirt? Another thing to take care of.
I've just been musing lately on trying to focus on what truly matters. There are missionaries across the world, that have many God-given ideas for projects---church buildings to build, water filters to build to prevent sickness from dirty water, people living with malnutrition, worms, protein deficiencies that could be fixed by a gift of some chickens..the list goes on and on.
And it's SO easy to get our money to them if we want to.
Even a $20 bill would be a blessing to a missionary..either to their family or they know who to bless with it.
I've felt God showing me that we are all called to be missionaries. I've heard the term that we are either "Goers" or "Senders." We have been open for about 7 yrs now that if God chooses we are willing to be a "Goer." For some reason, when we made that decision (Chris was willing a few years before I was) God sent us to the 3rd world country of "Burkesville, KY" If you're laughing, then you haven't been to Burkesville yet...
We are still willing but feel that until God calls us "somewhere" else...that we need to be the best "senders" we can be!! There are so many areas that we can sacrifice to save money. I've been praying that God show us more and more the vision that we need to have. To see the lost through His eyes....that even a few dollars saved here and there and given for Him can change a life but more importantly, impact a soul for eternity.
Think about what if every family chose one missionary to "partner with" and sacrificed as much as that missionary did for the Lord to serve those people. To send every extra dollar to further the ministry of reaching lives for Christ. You might not live in Ecuador, or Africa or India, but you are just as much a missionary to those places by helping the best you can. You can be an Ecuadorian missionary right where you live in Kentucky or Florida or wherever...isn't that a neat thought?
Please pray about how God could use you if you were willing to sacrifice financially. As our pastor says, "You won't be in heaven 2 minutes before you are thankful for every dollar you gave for missions." Money spent on "things" don't last....but people will come up to you in heaven and say "Thank You for giving to the Lord! I am a life, that was changed!"
Comments
Mar. 4, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by imasharp
AMEN!!!
You really are missionaries here in the big city of Bville. I think that is another point. God does send some to Africa but he sends us all to our towns. Great post. I would love to be a goer too.
Hugs,
Christy
Mar. 5, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Eunice
Thank you
Mar. 8, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by jsgay97
Great post! Life here is truly something that can be a shackle more than a blessing. It reminded me of the bonus track (I don't remember that song title.) on Andrew Peterson's album Clear to Venus. It's basically about how all of our "blessings" keep our eyes on earth rather on heaven. "I'm just a little jealous of all the nothing that you have. You're unfettered by the wealth of a world that we pretend is gonna last. . . Cause you never stop to wonder whether earth is just a little better than the Land of the Free."
Thanks for the reminder,
Jennifer
