Last night and this morning a youth spoke at the church services. He's 21 and wants to go to China as a missionary. He is passionate and he wants to help the persecuted Chinese Christians. That is great! But...he says that missionaries should only go to places where there is no church or Bibles. Only these places really need help, otherwise we not following Gods' plan and basically we are wasting time. Is this true?
Am I wasting my time?
Have the last 10 months been a total waste of time? What have I achieved? Lets see shall we? Well....
I've managed to catch Typhoid fever (which was theoretically impossible!)
I've made of lots of glittery craft things with kids
I've totally humiliated myself by trying to speak Spanish in public
and I've been to the beach and got spectacularly sunburnt!
Nobody has spoken to me and then suddenly become a Christian. I haven't healed the disabled kids or stopped the poverty stricken children from being poor or abused. Not a single abused woman has left her home and started a fresh life. So what have I been doing? Has my time here been worth anything?
I thought about what that boy had said and he was right in that this is a good country. Churches exist and aren't persecuted, People aren't beaten or executed for their faith and yes we have plenty of Bibles. But then I also remembered what I've seen and done here. We have Bibles but most people can't read them. The women know the church says they are precious but their boyfriends and husbands tell them they're worthless and beat them. Children are free to go to Sunday school but then their parents prostitute them for money. This country might be free and tolerant but it also has it's problems.
I haven't given anyone here a new life although I wish I could. I haven't done any miracles and to be honest I sometimes doubt I've even helped a single person but I am trying. Every day I get up, go to work and try to help. Every day I try to show these people how wonderful they are and show them that they are loved by God.
Am I wasting my time?
Am I wasting my time? I don't know but I hope not.
Am I wasting my time? I hope not but I'm going to keep trying my best anyway.
The seeds we plant now, the Spirit works on whether we are still there or not and so you do not know what fruit the seeds you plant now will bear in the future. You are certainly not wasting your time xx
ReplyDeleteLots of people stick with what they are doing just in the hope that they are genuinely make a difference. We rarely find out if we do or not. Five years ago I was chatting with a student about Christmas and about church. She lives by me so I said she should come. It took five years but on Christmas Eve she did... and brought her family who are Hindu. Most of us don't have a 'miracle' story where our lives change in one go. You are part of a process. Stick with it. Ian.
ReplyDeleteIf you atre doing God's work.... and I would say you are... given all the miracles which occurred when we were fund raising and all the things which have happened since to keep you there!!... then you are not in control of the 'difference ' you'll make.
ReplyDeleteMany people don't see their own country as needing missionaries... think of France!...because they are so used to the situations there that they don't see the needs but Jesus said that to do His work we should feed the hungry , visit prisoners, give clothes, etc ( you know in that famous 'I was in prison and you visited me ' speech). So. if that was a genuine question as opposed to a meditative reflection .... Attagirl !!!
Maman x
thanks for the encouragement!
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