Departing Dallas. I’ve grown accustomed to the close proximity of airline seatbacks. However, this one doesn’t contain a TV with the movies, music and the digital map tracking our flight’s progress. Therefore, I’m here with my thoughts.
Today’s flight is on a particularly clear day. I peer down at humanity below wondering about how a big God could care to love us all individually. We go about our lives, building, farming, diverting waterways, etc.…liberally carving into this earth according to our purposes; one creation exercising dominion over another. We are stewards of what God has provided us, completely free to act wisely or poorly…to our benefit or detriment. I stop to reflect on that in a personal manner. Have I been a faithful steward of what God has created within me? Have I chosen wisely or poorly?
Cleveland I return home to you. You hold for me relationships, possessions, activities, commitments. You offer normalcy, routine and familiarity. You’re seductive in many ways. And like the television I mindlessly consume, you pacify. I recall one of the goals I had for this Africa trip: to ask why…and never be fully satisfied with the answer. I have asked why of the world’s conditions and I pray that the search for a satisfying answer would not be quenched by the lure of comfort and routine. Formerly, I found safety in my comfort zone, a retreat from the world, a place to recharge. But in Africa I was shown that dwelling in God’s will for your life offers all the peace and revitalization anyone could require. My friend Aaron said something brilliant as I recapped my trip to him. He succinctly summarized the internal high of the short-term missionary experience by saying “we dedicate the days of these trips to being completely unselfish and we wonder why we feel so good at the end of it”. Huh. Amen to that.
Lord, may my refuge be found in You. May my purpose be found in being a servant. And may by comfort zone fade into uncharted territory.
Monday, June 30, 2008
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2 comments:
Steve, you are so eloquent with your words. Thanks for sharing and for putting into words what many of us on the team have felt.
hey - i found your blog through mocha club's website and i wanted to just say i really enjoyed reading it! i've been thinking seriously about taking a short term trip to africa to get involved working with children and kind of see for myself what's going on and i could seriously identify with your "prologue" post. just wanted to say thanks for writing :) it encouraged me a lot!
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