“I
didn’t want to get rid of our furniture, our treasures, or possessions. I
didn’t want to dismantle our home. . . . I didn’t want to say goodbye to
friends. I didn’t want to leave Port Angeles, with its forests, mountains and
sea. . . .” (From Chapter 2, Grandma’s Letters from Africa)
And
here’s another reason: I didn’t want to give up a steady income and good health
insurance.
Let
me explain. Some mission agencies pay their personnel, but Wycliffe Bible Translators, like many, does not.
Instead,
“faith missionaries” rely on God to pull together a team of people and churches
to send donations.
Some
churches and individuals promise to send money and always do, right on time.
A
few promise monthly donations but send it sporadically.
Others
discontinue their financial support because of a serious illness, a death, or
other financial setback.
But
the sad truth is this:
Some
churches and individuals
promise
to send money
but
never follow through.
Even
if all supporters send their pledged amount every month, most missionaries live
near (or even below) what North Americans call the poverty level. They can set
aside little, if anything, for an emergency.
In
our case, if every supporter followed through every month, we’d take a 35% pay
cut—we’d bring in 65% of what we were accustomed to.
And
no longer would an employer contribute toward health insurance and retirement.
We’d have to cover those costs out of our 65%.
Does reading such things put a knot in your stomach?
If
so, perhaps you understand why I balked at turning my back on a steady income
and good health insurance.
And
yet, Jesus said we shouldn’t worry about what we’ll eat, drink, or wear because
God knows our needs (though He’s not so concerned about
our wants) and will take care of
them—if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (see Matthew
6:24-34, NIV).
In
other words, He “already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you
need from day to day if you live for him and make the
Kingdom of God your primary concern” (Matthew 6:32b-33, NLT).
It
was a conditional promise—God would keep His part of the deal if I’d keep my part. He was simply
waiting for me to make up my mind.
I
stood at a crossroads.
I’d
arrived at a defining moment.
My
decision would change my life, no matter what I chose.
So,
did I want to make God my first priority?
And
could I—would I—trust God to
keep His word?
Did
I fear He would do an inferior job and leave me disappointed? Discontented?
Would
I walk away, choosing to stick with our current job security and all its perks?
Would I choose self-sufficiency?
I
have a feeling God’s heart longed for me to trust Him,
to
be content with whatever funds He provided.
Maybe
He wondered why I couldn’t be more like Paul, who wrote:
“I
know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have
learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well
fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12).
Have
you ever found yourself
plunked down at a fork in the road?
Like
me, did you wrestle with
whether to answer God’s call
or the world’s call?
Or
maybe today you’re at a crossroads,
a
life-changing intersection.
How
will you decide?
What
will you decide?
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