You’re going where? When? For how long? At your age? These are the questions I get every time I share the plan for me to go to Ghana in July, 2017 for a year.
My response is that I first received the call to GO when I was 10 years old. I went forward in the church service, prayed with the minister, and signed a card. The card was sent into the Mission Board of the denomination, and I began receiving the foreign missions magazine for years. I’ve never forgotten that moment and commitment.
So how’s it all going to work out? Not my problem!! Well, it is a little … In Matthew 28, when Jesus gave what we call The Great Commission, what’s the first word—GO? No!! The first word is ALL. Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me … Go therefore …” So what happens to my house, my furniture, my car, my cat, my mail, my bills, my …, my …, my …? I have to believe that Jesus has all authority! He can fix, override, change, manage, and otherwise take care of all of my somewhat pathetic affairs and possessions. He has the authority to twist, transform, fix, invent, and otherwise do whatever He decides because all of that is now on His desk to take care of. My responsibility is to believe that “all” means ALL.
When I was in my first year of teaching at a high school, the full authority rested with the principal. There were 2 rules that I lived by: leave all authority to the principal and make friends with his secretary and custodian. The principal made all the decisions, and the secretary and custodian had all the keys. It turned into a great working relationship. All of the unruly students and parents stopped at his door first. All meant ALL, and when he turned me loose in my classroom, go meant GO. Those classrooms became my mission field.
My other responsibility is to obey—go means GO! At age 10, go meant right now or in just a few minutes. At age 150 or so (some days it feels like that), go means finally! I’ve never stopped wanting to go. However, the circumstances never came into alignment for the going to happen until now. Am I surprised? You bet I am!! Now? Really? This year? Really? YES! If I can stay focused on all means ALL and go means GO, then I am equipped, ready, and able. It never occurred to me that I would be spending my 70th year in Ghana, West Africa.
Please find your part in this plan. You are my friends and family, and you hold many of the keys. If it is to pray, I need you!! Do it passionately and regularly. If it is to give, I need you!! No, I do not have all the funds I need—I need thousands more. Do it passionately and regularly. If it is to go, I need you! Do it passionately and obediently.