Much Dialog with God

A young friend that was contemplating being a missionary abroad, remembered my wife had wanted to be a missionary at one time and texted her, asking what changed her mind.

I thought her response was so well put that it was worth sharing:

Much dialogue with God...

-"If everybody goes, who will stay?"

-Realized He has brought the Nations to ME. To my backyard!

-"Blossom where you are planted"... I wasnt accidentally landed in San Diego. it is a harbor city. I have encounters with those from around the globe and because its a vacation spot, many will return with something I help invest into them.

-Me: "I don't want to be just a wife and mom." God:"Why do you despise what I call good?!"

-"Is not America sick and in great need of missionaries?!" and He showed me that it was actually easier to serve somewhere ELSE, that it seems more noble and glamourous to "lay down your life for Christ" there than here, where you don't get the applause for living like a missionary in El Cajon. Where instead you suffer the criticism of "geez why cant you just seem to get it together! Get a second job or something!" He asked me if I can love the sick American culture FOR Him. 

-He showed me that if I go in my youth I am weak and will make little impact. Be a comforter, good but not enough. (offer others survival lifestyle) but if I go in old age (Example: Apostle Paul, or even Al Green) that I've been tested by fire (not burnt by spotlights) and can be sharp and greatly effective. (Offer others power, wisdom, and overcoming lifestyle.)

-I then remembered I was told that in the old days of the church, people were chosen by much prayer and then sent out where they were literally being called. The church would lay hands on them and anoint them to go with the Gospel & the power of His Spirit.

And then, after choosing who would go, there would be those who were called to support them and would give up to half their income in support for their needs.

...a far cry from what happens today!

Therefore, if many go out in the church's weakness, the nations would get our watered down gospel, but if those who are in this for the long haul can stay and devote their lives to the unseen and unvalued job to heal the church and restore the keys of the kingdom back to wherever we were planted (SD for me for now) then those sent out will have the signs and wonders gospel we were intended to inherit!

The time will come when I travel, but for now, my family needs me more. (yea, build a family! It's the laboratory of life!) Now, should I leave them as spiritual, emotional, mental orphans to reach orphans? Or train them to parter with me (while still ministering to others) as they train me to value what our hopes are for those we minister to... to love one another. Family. Restore hearts back to the "Father." His idea was family... A large part of my privilege is to demonstrate FIRST what heaven's ORIGINAL design of family looks like on earth (back to The Garden life) and then to offer THAT to the broken and lost. (You can't give what you don't got!)