Many people live their lives for a final destination, a fixed point in life that they hope to arrive at, and then stay, relax, and retire. My life followed this plan in many ways. Growing up, all that I hoped and dreamed and desired was to move far away and become a missionary. I didn’t know any of the details, that was simply my destination. I now have a hard time remembering how many short term missions and outreaches I have gone on, or the number of weekend outreaches and times of ministry I have been involved with. Ministry now seems to blur with every day life in a unique way. A few things have stayed consistent for my life, the goal and plan is still to be actively involved in ministry and outreach, though it looks far different than what I could have dreamed of as a kid.
My upbringing shaped my life with certain disappointments, and formed it with skills and abilities that have given me opportunities and ideas for ministry which are needed in the body of Christ, but not actively pursued by many. In the last ten years my life has been reshaped by the intertwining of humanitarian style work projects mixed with one on one discipleship and missions work that is somewhat short term but in a lot of ways long term and beyond a typical missions experience. It began with meeting urgent needs in Haiti after the Earthquake in 2010, and seeing a native Haitian lady raise up an orphanage, school, and ministry from the wreckage in a desolate place, to following a pastor to South Dakota where poverty and lack of hope exists. I have learned so many lessons on this journey, I have had many failings, and times where I had no answers to the problems that I see, but through it all I can see God show up and bring His love and grace into every situation.
What I know is to keep moving on the path, no matter how good or how bad it looks at this moment. God has not called me to stop and relax and retire here, rather to continue going, to continue moving, to keep fighting for the hope that is lacking, for the problems not yet solved, for the child who is still in need of Hope. The destination is still unknown, but the direction and the path are still the same, to follow Jesus as He leads me to children and families who not only need His word and spirit, but physical needs met with the skills and abilities that my life has been given. I have this one life here on earth, I choose again today to continue on the path, to continue on the journey, to keep following, even in the unknown and the unanswered questions, to run with endurance this race I feel called to run.
reachthisworld.org 