T minus TEN

 My older sister Megan used to be a prolific force for our middle school Cross Country team. Every Friday night, there was the carbohydrate load entailing several heaping plates of spaghetti, the religious watching of the movie Chariots of Fire and a good night’s rest so that twelve hours later there could be a killer race where she would come in second to a German wunderkind from a rival school. The immense amount of prior preparation had something to do with what she always used to tell me: “A Dream without Action is only a Wish.” I typically ignored the platitude, popped a Michael W. Smith cassette into my portable tape player and sprawled across the floor to do my homework, relying on my lucky orange panties to bring me the kind of cross country success she produced through relentless training, diet and devotion to the task. Her natural talent probably helped a little.

Obviously, over time I came to have an appreciation for sacrificing leisure, comfort and even human necessities like sleeping, eating and general hygiene in order to achieve my goals.Yet, in the course of reaching academic milestones like a obtaining a baccalaureate degree, and putting some significant life events under my belt like marriage and moving away from family, I have not to this point learned to boldly step out in faith and obediently pursue ministering to this hurting world. If man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, and I haven’t set aside my own personal ambitions in order that I may glorify God through my obedience, then for what have I been living?

Of course, there is no secular life when a woman lives in Christ, as everything she does is Spiritual. And whatever she does, she must do it all to the glory of God, as working for Him, not for man. But to be honest, I can’t say I worked hard for God. Rather, I labored for myself and the fulfillment of my academic and vocational aspirations; for my pride because I can’t stand to fail; and to mollify my own fears that, should I not excel, my worth would somehow be invalidated because I falsely believed that I am what I do, and I am worth what I achieve.

Now I find myself in Alaska. Degree, check; job, check; great home with loving husband and ridiculously cute dog, CHECK. One Sunday, I find myself sitting listening to my dad preach about Bible studies in the wake of the tsunami and earthquake rocking Japan’s world, bringing the whole nation to its knees. Suddenly, I have an inkling that this type of outreach is actually something I can do, and it will be authentic! I won’t be doing it for false motives like responding out of guilt or feeling peer pressured into participation. This is what I will be doing to respond to his call, because a fire has been started in my soul, and because God is inspiring me to follow the passions that He himself gives me. I have connections to unbelievers through my job and Nate’s job. And I also have connections to young believers who need to be encouraged and spurred on toward love and good deeds. 

 This is what I was made for; this is who I am meant to be: a lover of Christ, and therefore a lover of people.

Sharine and I have been prayerfully seeking God about who to invite, what to study, when and where and how frequently to meet, and we have finally sent out our invitations. We kick off our Bible study with hopefully five other young ladies, meeting Wednesday evenings at a local coffee shop. Their knowledge of God ranges from “absolutely no knowledge of religion or faith whatsoever” to “lifelong believers.” The method will be to read the Bible, pray for God’s wisdom and cast away everything that hinders as we seek Him. Please pray for us as we step out in faith in a way that is true to our passions and in response to his calling. We start in ten days!