Fresh Perspective

  I have recently been impressed with the FACT that there is NO good time to become a missionary.  I mean if you are single, you may want a spouse.  If you are recently married, you may need “time”.  If you are having children……well who would want to expose them to a third world environment?  If you have teens, will you dare disrupt their life?  Careers.  Security.  Retirement plans.  Sick parents.  Special Educational needs.  Personal sickness.  Mid age and being away from your young adult kids and emerging grandbabies.  Retirement age and then parents back home are more in need then ever of your care.  When can one “Go” and it be the “RIGHT” time?  NEVER.  Except when God calls, He makes up for the lack, the unknown, the need and the EXCUSES.  I hope to tackle some of these missionary “Excuses” by talking with current missionaries, in the field, who authentically had/have great excuses.  I think...

Last summer while we were on furlough I became acutely aware of different people (our friends, our family, perhaps you) who were in pain.  Perhaps this pain was emotional, physical, spiritual or the weighty concern for their/your child.  It took on many faces and fleshed out in human suffering.   Yet people held back from sharing because they implied later that they thought our suffering, our pain, our sacrifice was greater.  So what was their/your story compared to ours? I literally grabbed humanity by the shoulders last summer and quietly (though I wanted to scream) said, “NO!”  Your suffering, your pain, your walk, your sacrifice is just as meaningful and just as important.  Stepping on a plane and relocating our family to the other side of the planet does not mean that our stories are more special, that we deserve the floor, that your life pales in place of ours.  Though thank you for the honor and the respect. So yes, life here is challengi...

The invitation came in December and as the month rumbled on the boys and Darron threw the invitation around.  Did they want to go on a week long trek with Pastor Desmond through the jungle, visiting little churches along the way?  They were all so tempted.  Each in their own way.  I wasn’t against it.  Though it was right over Christmas.  However, I felt consoled that if they went….at least they (Darron, Aubrey and Andrew) would be together making incredible memories.  In the end, they decided not to go.  This week Pastor Desmond (along with his family) joined us for supper.  He shared with us his stories of this journey and showed us all the photos and videos.  Pastor Desmond went with 4 of his seminary students.  Even just listening (and not going) we were blessed and challenged.   But we stayed home. Not that staying home was bad.  Many good things happened this break while being home and some of those are in earlier b...