Faith Practice

"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and fighting men.'" ~Joshua 6:2

One of the true things about me is that when fatigued all the world seems bleak. Today, was no exception. The combination of jet-lag, time-chance and poor sleep leading up to my departure have been a perfect storm. So, today, when I was very nearly not allowed through the immigration checkpoint and threatened with deportation should I break any of the rules of my visa status, it was easy for me to run towards worst-case scenarios. It was also the opportunity for my first lesson in missionary life: Trust God.

My first instinct is to be afraid and modify my plans, to melt internally and believe in the worst possible outcome. So I make the conscious choice to trust. I know that the God who is greater than all the world's governments has brought me here and will keep me here as long as he wishes. So I choose not to be afraid. Not to withdraw, but to go forward.

I am sure there will come moments when the hurtles are greater than one suspicious passport agent, and the discouragement is not the result of jet-lag. And so now, I will practice trusting God, in preparation for when I'll need that posture desperately.

The Next Step, and a Large One

In four days my plane takes off, carrying me to a place I have dreamt of for a long time. In some ways, it feels like the beginning of a journey, but really it is just another step in the direction I have been headed all of my life. About eight years ago, I began to play a game with myself called "What could the church look like?" Over the years the frequency of play has waxed and waned, but always in the back of my mind the question has lingered. What could it look like? What could it be?

A little over a year ago, the old question was reborn in my mind with a vengeance and an intensity I could not shake. What I also couldn't shake was the call of God to give my life away in his service. And, if the truth be told, I didn't want to shake it. When I look at the world and all of its brokenness, my heart bleeds to bring the love of Christ to it. I long to raise up dynamic followers of Christ who can't wait to give themselves away. I hunger to see the power of the gospel transform communities.

In four days my plane takes off for London, England, and I take the next step, and a large one, on this journey. It will be exciting and scary and sometimes discouraging, and there is no telling who I will be at the other end. But I am confident that both I and the city I love will be changed for the better as a result of my obedience to the life Christ has called me to.