When I was a child, I entertained thoughts of becoming a missionary. I dreamed of taking my Vacation Bible School Teacher’s flannel board across the deep, blue ocean to a world away. A world where Jesus was not known as the Son of God. I would spend time with the native people, loving them into a dramatic conversion. Christians far and wide would ooh and aah at my crazy Jesus skillz.
Life is complicated. My road forked times infinity.
Even now, I value the life of a missionary but not for the same reasons as my strange fixational dreams allowed when I was a child. I admire them for the grit. I admire their ability to comfort the dying without knowing the right words to say. I admire their ability to tend to the sick without proper supplies or the certain future funding. I admire their ability to stay. To set their feet in concrete in dangerous, violent situations.
That is love.
I used to think it was about conversion. It still is…a little.
I thought the equation was more Personal Sacrifice + Bible = Conversion
Know I think it’s more Personal Sacrifice + Love = N
Just like when I was in many, many, many math classes I didn’t understand, I never could find the solution. The formula is important. The result? Not so much.
Maybe that’s why not all of us are cut out to serve in such a sacrificial manner. Maybe we all need a solution before we start using the formula. I don’t know. It’s a theory. I haven’t named it yet.
Mother Theresa once said,
I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.
Maybe it’s the Mother Theresa Theory….Where we choose to love others faithfully regardless of the measurable success.
This week begins the Compassion Blogger’s trip to Guatamala. I hope you will join me in following their experiences and praying for them. Make comments and let them know someone is listening and learning from their experiences. Hopefully, we will all come away from this changed.
I am going to be following them on Twitter here.
Here is a list of their individual blogs. I can’t wait to live vicariously through them. I need to do some research regarding my theory. :)
Yes, I admire them, too!! I'll keep them in my prayers, too! Should we link up this post to the prayer list? It's ALWAYS on a side page on my blog and is highlighted every Sunday. You decide!! In the meantime, I feature RIDE FOR REFUGE and awarded your Awareness recognition on today's post. (((HUGS)))
Yes! Please add them to the prayer list and thank you so much for the Awareness Recognition! Thank you for reading my posts in general! I love it!