Global

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Stretching Your View

In our daily world, most of us have become use to seeing the same ole visual images caped in different clothing:

 

  • The same tribal office work colleagues in dressed different apparel
  • The same neighborhood that transitions in different seasons of the year
  • The same apparel of clothing we have in our closet, but we mix and match them according to the weather
  • The same usual routes we drive around our neighborhoods, yet we may drive different streets when road construction impedes our way
  • The same summer visits with family and friends
  • The same summer vacation destinations

 

Yet very few of us will desire frequent changes in life.  I heard a church sermon some years ago and the topic was “Do You want to be a Pioneer or a Settler?”  Here are some key highlights I remember from this sermon:

 

  • Pioneers are pacesetters; they pave the way for others and find themselves often exploring new territories
  • Settlers’ mission are to reach a point and stay at the place forever

 

Early in my adult life, I once had the belief that I would “settle down” and: (1) earn a formal education; (2) become satisfied with a level of wealth; (3) get married and have children; (4) work a traditional 8 to 5 job with benefits and meager vacation days.  I accomplished at least three of the above four ‘settled’ objectives.

 

But later in my life, I always wanted something much better.  I didn’t know exactly what it was specifically, but I always attempted to stretch my view….my mental view that is.

 

Stretching your mental view causes you to:

 

  • Think harder
  • React faster/often to issues stirring in your heart
  • Question or Challenge the Status Quo
  • Pray even more
  • Question the law of humanity
  • Have a sense of understanding the world a little bit better

 

Traveling around the world excites me, especially when wanting to meet new people!  Having simple conversations with others allow me to become better as a listener.  The sound waves and pitch patterns of various human voices echoing through my ear canal creates a hunger for knowledge and understanding.

 

I believe the opposite of ‘not’ wanting to stretch your mental view can lead to:

 

  • Stagnation
  • An unwillingness to learn, which can close your mind to an ever changing world
  • Isolation
  • Being Argumentative

 

Because I have such a passion for making a different in my world, I found several ways to “Stretch My View”

Local View

Global View
  Take in a new ethnic restaurant

See an independent film

Take a foreign language class

Help at a refugee crisis center

Study world history/cultures

   Travel to a different vacation spot each year

Have dinner in a home of locals

Sign up for global affairs events

Go on a short-term mission trip!

Let’s go people and do some good!

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His Overflowing Passion

This month, I had the privilege of attending a religious conference in Richmond, Virginia  Well over 7,000 conference attendees swarmed the city for a 3-day course of learning and networking.  Exhibitors of the conference represented some 285 mission related world-wide organizations all vying for the attention of conference goers.

As I gazed from a glass room on the second floor above the massive exhibit hall, it looked like a typical convention.  I couldn’t help but to notice hundreds of two legged creatures moving about the exhibit corridors carrying stuffed plastic bags full of literature, books, conference tchotchkes, and plenty of unnecessary sugary treats.  Don’t forget the colorful/creative booth space designs also appealing to your attention.

But this particular conference is quite different from the hundreds I’ve attended over the past 15 years.  These 285 exhibitors primarily represented outreach ministries stationed in some 145 countries world-wide!  From US based ministries like Christian Appalachian Project of Kentucky to Bach Christian Hospital of Pakistan, all present to attract mission minded candidates for short or long term mission opportunities.

Many prospect candidates attending this conference are college bound youth looking to plunge into some kind of spiritual global trek adventure.  Adults like myself, look forward to networking and collaborating.  I believe the core of the three day recruitment tangle between mission candidates and outreach ministries is to channel our focus on Kingdom building.  God has uniquely given ‘us’ people passion – to help those who aren’t capable to help themselves.

Beyond the exchange of brochures, business cards, books, confectionary candies, and gawking at international artwork and crafts comes the real work.  It is the stories of people throughout the world who some tonight may face starvation, illness, sudden death, religious persecution, or the quickening to leave their home because of tribal warfare.

It’s not new to us that the world is besieged by strife and trials.  The question is often ask…Who shall go to help? Who will advocate and confront these terrible issues?

The notion of being surrounded by 7,000 conference goers and 250,000 US missionaries currently serving around the world, a level of confidence is obvious that ‘someone’ is doing ‘something’.

Unfortunately, the 80/20 rule may apply…after the convention, some conventioneers may go back to their busy lives, responding to Twitter, Facebook, occupying a work cubical Monday thru Friday for several hours, and playing the day care shuttle.

Others may view and pour over the free literature once they go back home and pray to ‘fit’ a mission schedule into their personal calendar for next year.

Only a few will answer the call; leaving the comforts of home for the sake of giving comfort to those who haven’t had a fair chance to live in dignity.

The “few” possess God’s overflowing passion to take that risk, defy the odds, and ignore the criticism of family members and friends.  It is that overflowing passion that keep them up in the wee hours of the night.  It is that overflowing passion that encourages them to hear successful stories of other missionaries overcoming challenges in unreachable communities.  It is that overflowing passion where God is speaking and providing the next steps for kingdom assignments.  It is that same overflowing passion that caused me to buck the trend of what people my age aren’t doing yet.

What is that God overflowing passion that possesses you – yet you decided not to have a ‘coming-out’ party?  Is it causing you to change?  Is it causing you to breakout yet?  Go for it!  Don’t be scared…do it today.