One important thing I learned while preparing for marriage was that money can become the root of the problems with my husband. We were encouraged to build a strong understanding that wouldn't waiver during financial troubles. Yet, throughout my entire life I have noticed that money is something that plagues every person and relationship. I find that sometimes friendships are strained when one feels less endowed then the other. Jealousy, envy, greed, are all words that come to mind when I think of money. And in different ways I have seen those very emotions engulf a relationship in a negative way. The truth is money can be a great blessing on many, and the demise to others.
One of the most uncomfortable things I endure when I go on missions trips is asking people for money. In our society today we are plagued by the door-to-door salesman whose more concerned with his product and less with his customer. So when we get a letter in the mail or are invited to give, I feel like people automatically see this as an annoyance. And it seems that every passing day there is a new cause that needs funding and we are bombarded with money seekers. So, when I ventured out on this mission I realized that I would have to put my feelings aside, and ask. I had to ask people to support my trip and join me in this journey. Some people are easier to ask than others, and while I am trying to embrace this reality of missions, I still feel like I am doing something wrong, or imposing.
The truth is, missionaries wouldn't be able to do their jobs if there weren't supporters. If they didn't have people back home supporting their journey financially, then they couldn't make the differences they are making. Some people think of missionaries as people who go to foreign countries and try to convert others to their religion. While some aim to do that, for me being a missionary is about so much more. Going on a missions trip is about stepping outside of my comfort zone and embracing someone elses' culture. It is about giving unconditional love to someone who might not get that everyday. It's about doing any task needed to make a life less difficult. If someone asks me about my faith and about God, I will gladly share, and if no one asks then that is alright too. I am God's vessel for change and love. Sometimes it is just a matter of loving and not talking or sharing. For me, being a missionary is about uniting God's kingdom in a more intimate way. I feel like some people give missionaries the credit for converting people into Christians. The truth is, God makes that transformation happen. God is the driving force in bringing new Christians to His kingdom, I am just on the front lines sharing the love He gives me as a christian. Missionaries change the world in so many ways. They help create change in this sometimes hopeless-feeling world. We need missionaries just like we need plumbers to fix pipes and electricians to give us light.
I am reminded of the christian missionary who worked alongside Gandhi for so many years, E. Stanley Jones. He worked alongside Gandhi regardless of the fact that Gandhi didn't want to embrace the Christian faith. Knowing this reality about Gandhi, Stanley Jones continued to give and help. This is a missionary, someone who knows that being a christian in a foreign world has far less do with how many WE can convert, but more with how WE share our heavenly love and hearts. That is all WE can do, God does the rest.
Our team will get through this part of the missions experience, support raising. We will have many willing givers and some unexpected ones. We will have to depend on God in every step of this journey to provide for our needs. And through this experience I will see first hand how my supporters' lives will change. Just by writing a check or handing over a twenty-dollar-bill, I will see how God transforms and changes hearts.
I rest in the truth that if God is asking me to take this journey He will provide for my needs. I can't begin to imagine what He has in store for me, my team and our supporters through this experience.
Praise God for loving me so much that He gives me so many amazing people who want to support me through this journey. I believe that we truly haven't felt God's blessings until we give a little piece of our own. Thank you to every donor and supporter whose given our team a little piece of their God-given blessing!
No comments:
Post a Comment