True Confessions
This has been a year of achy teeth for me. For those of you
who know me well, I’ve probably said it more than once, “Ouch, I need to get
these wisdom teeth pulled out.”
I liken starting off in ministry to starting a new business
at times. There’s a lot of sacrifice in not working for corporate at first, but
after awhile it pays off, but there’s definitely a risk involved.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying ministry is a business. I
just liken it to it. Think about what entrepreneurs go through in their business’s
infancy:
- High capital investment with little return in the
beginning
- Long hours—burnin’ that midnight oil!
- No benefits at first, like health care and
retirement
- Lot’s of potholes, because you’re starting from scratch
- In many cases, the last person to get paid is the
entrepreneur him/herself
Since, most people need stability right away, they “sell
out to the man” so-to-speak. And lets face it; most families truly rely on the
stability that a corporate job can offer. Missionaries are the same way, working for an
established ministry often pays well, offers health care and provides a nice
missionary home waiting for them as they arrive on the field.
Andrew and I have chosen to take the ‘entrepreneurial’ route
to missions work. We’re starting a lot of things from the ground up. This can
sometimes entail some pressurized moments.
Speaking of pressurized moments, today we had one of them.
On the way to meet Pastor Kelly (aka Elder Kelly) and the leadership team of Word Covenant Church for the first time, my tooth lit itself on fire. I don’t know
what happened but it hurt like the dickens.
I sat in the car and cried the whole time, while Andrew
presented our vision to the church elders. It was really frustrating for both
of us, because we ALWAYS present the vision together. I’ll be honest, for some
reason, it never fully works out 100% right when we don’t.
Afterward, Elder Kelly and his staff had me go into the
church for prayer. I felt such joy walking into that church—it is a blessed church. I got super-duper emotional. They prayed for me and we
apologized that they only got “half of us” to present.
Andrew and I left the church feeling so raw inside. I don’t
know how to explain it. It was like—man, we messed up our first impression.
This sounds awful, but there’s a huge amount of pressure at
times to do well with the people and meetings God gives us. It’s not like we
have people calling us all the time to here about the church in Congo.
Actually, we know what it feels like to open a phone book and call church after
church after church.
Rejection, rejection, rejection, REJECTION.
We understand that no rejection we receive is directed at
us. It’s actually a rejection of Jesus and His work.
It’s still rough sometimes and it makes us appreciate
the people who want to hear the vision. I thank God (from the bottom of my
heart) for every rejection or correction that I’ve ever been the brunt of. I
believe it has made me a wise and grateful individual and it’s really drawn me
closer to God.
Andrew and I got home and went on a long walk to contemplate
the meaning of life all over again. We talked about our frustrations and shortcomings;
where we’ve been and where we’re going. And although we didn’t do anything
particularly “productive,” God used both of us to counsel one-another.
We walked in the darkness. And it was beautiful. Not because
we were together, but because God was with us.
Sure, we may not have done the greatest job at presenting
the vision today. Toothaches and life’s sometimes-pitiful realities got in the
way—realities that we don’t have the means to fix right now.
But that’s okay, because I’m so thankful for what we have. Just
like this was the day that the Lord has made—so is tomorrow.
Praying for the both of you! And that a Blessing will be soon to get your tooth fixed next week. God Bless you!
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