DISCLAIMER: for those of you who are not in this same predicament (i.e. having kids who are part of the "Frozen Chozen"), I hope you'll ... sympathize anyway. ;)
I'd be lying if I said this whole "Let It Go" phrase hasn't been timely for me. However, for me it carries a very different meaning.
Over the last 5 years, as we have trained and prepared for cross-cultural ministry as church planters, the Lord has given me so many opportunities to confront 'everything' that matters to me. He's given me the challenge to "let it go". Some areas are easier than others.
Come to think of it, when I first heard back in high school about people groups in the world who had never heard the Gospel, I had the chance to "ignore" what I'd learned, or to become a part of it. I had the opportunity in that moment to look at my life as a whole and 'let it go'- surrender it to His leading and guiding in my life.
But not only has He 'challenged' my life as a whole, but He has been loving enough to dig into the different pieces of my life. And in essence, He's asked me to consider: "Am I willing to let it go?"
Some of these areas:
-Possessions
-My idea/ideals of a comfortable life
-Normalcy (okay, this would be open to interpretation of course...)
-My life (willing to die?)
-My friends and family ("back home")
-My husband
-My children
Some of these have been easier for me to consider than others. One of the questions that naturally comes up for me after the last two is this: "Would I be able to go on?" I think that sometimes He lovingly gives us the chance to consider these last two in particular-- not so that we can become morbid or devastated by the thought. But so that we can better understand who HE is and who HE always will be. So we can grasp more firmly to His hand with a clearer understanding of our precious and solid identity in Him (our life is hidden in Christ!).
My children.
The question I am asked personally the most often now is "What fears do you have about going to the jungles of PNG?" And many of you have heard the answer- 'being hours from medical assistance.' Of course you realize what I am really saying is that my fear is to lose my child.
I can hear the voice of the world saying (if that were to happen): "Why were you so foolish to take your children to such a place of danger?"
But a stronger voice yells back quickly: "There was no foolishness in taking our children along with us in obedience to Christ's mandate- we took them out of a place of great danger into a different place of great danger." But think, Child of God! The only real place of danger is being apart from Christ.
My children could become ill and die of malaria in PNG.
My children could become ill and die of the flu in the USA.
We could die in a plane crash in PNG.
We could die in a plane crash in the USA.
My husband could go out to another village in PNG and not return.
My husband could go out to work in the USA and not return.
A natural disaster could take our lives in PNG.
A natural disaster could take our lives in the USA.
My children could become lonely in PNG.
My children could become lonely in the USA.
I will be desperate for the Lord's grace in PNG.
I will be desperate for the Lord's grace in the USA.
So what is the difference? Really? The REAL difference? ("In this world you WILL have trouble, but take heart! For I (Jesus) have overcome the world!")
We go to PNG because there are over 830 distinct language groups, over half of which have never heard the Gospel in their own language. Therefore there are no believers/no church in their own language. Therefore there is no Bible in their own language- oral or written! Christ's mandate was clear- to make disciples of ALL nations/ethnos (languages). What He has also made clear in His Word is that we are entirely His! Being that we are all His and that our lives are hidden in Him-- our lives belong not to us but to Him. We live not just for Him, but we live IN Him. We live and move and breathe and have our being IN HIM (!). How then can we not be a part of all that He is and all that He is about? THIS is the real difference for us.
We let it go, we let it ALL go- every area of our lives. Not because He says to let it go/lose it and we will die. That would be 'logic'. On the contrary, He says lose our life and we will FIND it!
Are we each being a part of all that He is? What part is He asking YOU to play? How is He asking you to make disciples of your children and the believers around you? Are you young and on your own? What part is He asking YOU to play- is He showing you the vastness of the stars in the sky and asking you to step out in faith as He did Abraham?
Let it go, child of God! And find yourself fully alive in Christ and in His purpose. He IS worth it. :) No radio smashing either... ;)
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