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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Tangled in Missions


I'm not sure if you've seen the Disney movie Tangled yet, but it is a fabulous movie full of adventure and dreams. I’m sure you’re wondering what in the world a Disney movie has to do with going to Tanzania to do missionary work, but lately, I've been feeling a lot like how the main character, Rapunzel felt during the course of the movie.

The main character, Rapunzel has a dream and she will stop at nothing in order to see her dream fulfilled (even if that includes disobeying her mother and kidnapping a thief). She has been locked in a tower for 18 years and every year on her birthday she sees floating lights in the sky and she wonders what they are. Through her determination and a series of fortunate events (and unfortunate events), she finds herself in the kingdom just in time to experience the release of thousands of lanterns into the sky. But, as the moment approaches, she begins to have doubts. She wonders if the experience will be everything that she has dreamt it will be. What if it isn’t? And then again, what if it is? What then?

That seems to be exactly where I am finding myself. I’ve imagined for years what it would be like to go to a foreign culture and completely immerse myself in it. I’ve dreamed of helping people and changing the world in the name of Christ. For years I’ve wrestled with God over whether or not this was actually what HE had planned for my life or if it was just something that seemed like a good idea, but would quickly be forgotten. But, God hasn’t let me forget it and I know that this is where I’m supposed to be. But, am I really prepared for what will happen once I get there? Am I ready for what I will learn and how I will feel? I guess the only way to find out is to press forward into the unknown and trust that God knows what HE’s doing in my life. That’s truly all we can ever do, no matter how hard or scary it may seem at times. Sometimes it may mean risking everything (family, friends, job), other times it may mean getting on a plane, and sometimes it’s as simple as greeting a stranger. My prayer is that you too will find a place of complete (and maybe insane) faith in God to direct your steps to fulfill HIS vision and purpose for your life.

“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

Blessings and peace,
Christine