What better way to wake up than to look out the window and see 2 inches of white fluffy snow covering everything as if a baker had taken a huge bag of confectioner's sugar and poured it over the earth, coating everything in a white powder? The visually appealing condensation soon melted away like my hopes of doing well on my test melted to the consistency of a microwaved Marshmallow Peep.
My discouragement and fried brain were soon lightened with an encouraging CMDA meeting and some free Chik-Fil-A. Our speaker today was a Med-Peds doc who had spent almost a decade at a missionary hospital in Ecuador. The faces of all the indigents receiving healthcare coupled with the incredible mountainous landscapes and wildlife of the region evoked memories of Guatemala. I keep telling myself-"6 more years; only 6 more years." Seeing the need in such places and knowing that countless others wait hopefully for someone to bring them the "good news" and meet their spiritual and physical needs as well only furthers the urge.
I cannot understand how we who live in a land so "blessed" feel so compelled to believe that our "good Christian duty" is merely to be a "good example," a "light for others," and to believe that the price that was paid for our lives permits us to disconnect ourselves from the call of the Great Commission. It's my prayer that the word of God penetrates down to our very marrow (Heb 4:12) until we cannot help but feel the calling to unleash ourselves from our complacent attitudes and bring hope the hopeless.
Two more days of tests and my mind is in another world (or at least another continent)
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5 comments:
Cool... They kept calling for snow down here, but all we got was rain. :(
They are also calling for rain this weekend too. Looks like Big South Fork is the area for backpacking. (Bryan may have sent you an email, I didn't get it though.)
Michele, I think you are definitely one of those young people that Mike Cope has been talking about on his blog--ones that want to get "messy" to reach the world for Jesus! I am so thankful for all of you who have such desires on your heart! Six years will fly by!!!
JB
Michele, I totally agree with your admonition to follow the Great Commission, but I think I might slightly disagree with your assessment that many Christians have become "complacent" in their desire to carry out the Great Commission. I know we all have our "bad moments" and don't always have the attitude we should, but I think our generation is full of people who want to help carry out the great commission. My heart has been refreshed to hear Christians in Brazil and Japan and all over the US articulate their visions of planting churches and reaching the inner-city and all sorts of other really cool stuff recently. I think there are many of our brothers and sisters who want to be encouragers and unifiers and kingdom-builders. Now some of them might be a little too grossed out at the sight of blood to be a medical missionary (which is why we need people like you!), but they still have other cool desires for spreading God's word that are just as important. Just a thought.
And also, these next 6 years aren't going to be wasted, either. They'll be just as useful as your work in Latin America will be!
Hang in there! Spring break is coming soooooon! And I can't wait to see you this weekend!
Hey Mer,
It's ok. I wasn't trying to imply that there aren't lots of wonderful people out there with hearts on fire for God, spreading the message around the world (nor that you have to leave the states to be a missionary.) It just seems like a lot of people in church think that being a Christian means coming to church 3 times a week, paying their 10% service fee, and planning the next social event/potluck. It also seems like a lot of people are content to believe that "being a good example" is all that God requires of us and not to completely give our lives to him and whatever purpose he has for us. Just some thoughts.
Can't wait to see you this weekend and hopefully we won't turn into Mer and Michele popsicles!
That's cool, Michele. I just wanted to clarify. I don't want to whitewash our situation in the church right now because I know we're really far away from where we should be, but I also don't want to be too cyncical. I guess this conversation has helped us achieve some balance between those two extremes.
And I definately agree that we need more people who are mission-minded. (Actually, I'd even be happy if a few more people started tithing their 10% and striving to be a good example.)
Don't let those med-school professors get you down, Michelita de Tennessee! See you soon!
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