Wellspring...

I just read Claraslvr's post on Elizabeth Elliot and after this morning's visit with my friend and after several months of trying to figure out what to do with the leadership situation with the singles in my church I have a plan of action and am ready and prepared to be Esther! But that is not the purpose of this post (but it did make me think about it).

C talked about how Elliot went with her husband (you guys really should read her post, she's linked from here) to do mission work with "savages" and he was killed by the very people who she eventually helped convert and how hard that must have been and so on. Her post has evoked a wellspring of thoughts. So here we go, if you're up for the ride...

I got to thinking. It must have been the summer before my freshman year or the summer before my eighth grade year but the youth group at church was making it's annual trip to the Houston Impact Church in downtown Houston, TX. I hadn't been before and was SO excited to go. I was going to go for the weekend and then go straight from there to spend the rest of the summer working at Camp of the Hills (a Christian inner-city youth camp). I remember kids parents making the BIGGEST deal out of the trip saying things like: "What if something were to happen to the kids downtown? What if one of them didn't come home?"

Now, before I finish this post, those of you reading need to understand that I don't take life lightly. I don't. I'm not making light of the fact that a parent was worried about the loss of a child. J's parent's lost Jarred my freshman year of college. Second day of classes. I remember. THAT WAS TERRIBLE. He was the same age as my middle brother Trav, a junior in high school at the time. On his way to school, feel asleep at the wheel. It's awful, so please understand that I'm not making light of that, please understand.

But here's the deal (and read Clara's post to maybe see more of where I'm coming from): where is our security? Whose are we? As Christians, what do we have to fear in death?

I was talking to a dear friend of mine the other day and we got to talking about mission work. I was expressing my feelings about it and she made it evident that it is not for her. "You go ahead!" she said. And I hear that. I understand that out of states missions isn't for some people. I hear that. You can stay in the states and minister to people here. Good for you... that's awesome. There's people here that need it too!

Gosh. I just... there's so many people that need the Word! (I'm on a tangent now... look out) Are we going to be so selfish that we're going to let Satan use our fears and whatnot to discourage us from telling people about the greatest thing that's ever happened to us?!? Do some of us even realize it's him that's doing it? GA!

There are so many things, so many things bigger than we are and some of us are going to get caught up in our petty crap.

And if there's anything I've been convicted of in the past two years it's this: when God looks at the people of South America, Asia, Guam, Thailand, Zambia, Czech Republic, Canada, and the U.S. and everyone around the world, you know what He sees? SIN. And it's the same sin everywhere. Your sin and my sin and the sin of an Asian man or an African man are all the same and equal... we'd all be separated from God if it weren't for the atoning blood of Christ Jesus and God's grace and mercy which He so RICHLY showers upon us day by day.

And how great is it that He has commissioned us, His followers to tell others about it? How amazing a responsibility?

Wow. Kinda went off there. It's just that it fires me up. A few months ago the group from Guatemala came back (had I known they were going, I would have been with them) and did a presentation on their trip. LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT IF THEY'D ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO GO THAT NIGHT TO HELP THEM I WOULD HAVE RUN TO THE FRONT. I know it's not easy work. But it's so awesome... and it's not just about something temporary (like planning for a bridal show that happens six times a year) it's about something eternal. The scope and magnitude of that is incredible. You're impacting people for an eternity.


21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

~Colossians 1