Vision: Experiences

“What experiences did God use in your life to lead you into kingdom work?” Pastor Harvey Pflug asked us at Tuesday morning’s vision meeting.

Back in the early nineties Kevin and I crossed the Mexican border with an infant heading to Kevin’s new Navy assignment as the co-chair of the English Department at the Mexican Naval Academy. We were enthusiastic about our new adventure and our faith.

For the two previous years we soaked up church life. Involved in a growing church plant and numerous Bible studies, we felt we had grown leaps and bounds. Our life was Christian. It involved not only Sunday mornings, but who we hung out with, the music we listened to, our politics, our dress, and the books we read.

Then God moved us to Veracruz, Mexico, where we were the only American military for hundreds of miles. He stripped away our Christian radio station, our Christian bookstore, and our Christian friendships. He took away our way of worship, our choice of music style, and our heady theological and political debates. And replaced them with nothing.

For a year we floundered, trying to figure out what it really meant to be a Christian. We had our faith, but how were we suppose to live it out apart from our American Christian culture? What did it really mean to be a child of God?

Slowly, very slowly, we began to realize it wasn’t about us. It wasn’t about our comfort, our tastes, or what we thought we should be doing. It was all about God: God, his glory, his will, and making ourselves available to wherever He was working in our lives.

Broken, we turned to God and pleaded with him to show us, just show us, what we were to do, how we were supposed to live. Shortly afterward, through a set of bizarre circumstances, God introduced us to six missionary couples, from denominations ranging from Pentecostal to Southern Baptist. These missionaries served across the city of Veracruz, but up to this point had no knowledge of each others existence.

The men began meeting at our house, praying and keeping each other accountable to the work God had called them. The women began an English-speaking Bible study in our house. We didn’t know if anyone would attend. Twenty-five women showed up for our first meeting, and it grew from there.

I am glad Harvey prompted me to recall this time. I too often forget what God desires and what He is capable of accomplishing, if we only trust and obey.

Jacob Addison commented that a mission mentality starts"when you decide to look at why you do each thing that you do."

So, why do you do what you do? What experiences has God used in your life that led you to be involved in kingdom work?

Harvey’s quote of the day:
The foundation of a missional life is the decision to offer to God our plans in exchange for his plans. It requires that we are willing to leave our world so he can send us to extend his kingdom.” –Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, The Tangible Kingdom Primer.