The top picture, me at a village school in the middle of some jungle in Uganda. The bottom picture, me in Newport Beach, CA.
Something I've learned over the last 10 months is this: getting on an airplane shouldn't change you.
Yikes. Those are hard words for me to swallow myself. Sometimes I think about my time in Uganda, and I'm forever thankful for it. But something that still constantly shocks me is when I hear or see people say "I'm going to be a missionary" or "send me to a missionary training" or "I'm saving so one day I can go be a missionary."
Friends. Yikes. Did you know that the word "missionary" isn't in the bible? Woah. Pause.
But a the term, "follower of Christ is." Is it fun to travel the world and go into all the world as the bible says to do? Yes. Absolutely. We're commissioned to do so as Christ followers. But one thing that I've learned is that no matter where you are, serve and love with all you've got. Do everything as if unto the Lord. Serve, and love the hopeless no matter where you're at. And if you get to go on a plane one day to do it, than praise God. But don't identify yourself as a "missionary" when you're only in a foreign land.
““The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. “For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.” I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”
Isaiah 61:1-11
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