"A question to be considered, though, is how willing are you to change to see your dream realised. You say you want to travel to Africa to do this mission work, but to what point will you say "no, I'm not changing anymore, it's too much"? Mission work, preparing for it, often involves a huge change on your own behalf. Is that change something that you want to make? Is it a case of wanting to follow through even if it means completely changing your outlook on life, your outlook on other people, your outlook on evangelism, even your outlook on your own faith and God? Are you willing to have ideas and concepts you've held and known for so long to be completely stripped away from you? "
I really wanted to share this here, this was a comment left in regards to my post "rekindling the dream" I thought the questions were awesome!!
and came at the perfect time.
Today I just recieved an email response in regards to questions I had asked about the course run by global training ministries, and the woman who kindly took the time to type me a response said repeatedly..."This Course will change you, you will be forced to evaluate your faith, wipe all the decorative mumbo-jumbo aside and you will walk away KNOWING what you believe and why you believe it...and thats the only way your going to be able to spread the gospel effectively"
I'm ready...as ready as I suppose you can be, yes this will change me, but more than anything I want it to change me.
break, shape and mould me, lets not be naive, it's going to be damn hard, allowing yourself to be changed, to the extreme which this woman was speaking of, it's going to be painful...it's a form of sacrifice and real sacrifice never comes without pain.
"Nor will I make sacrifices to the Lord my God, with that which costs me nothing"
2 Samuel 24:24
All I know is that this dream burns in me, and I'll do whatever it takes to get there, and so long as God's on my side...it's gonna happen!
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3 comments:
I guess the biggest thing that I have considered already is that this will throw me out of my comfort zone. If I wasn't prepared to do that then I would just stay where I'm at, teach in a nice little primary school for the rest of my life. I realize that I have lived a pretty freakin' blessed life. I realize that the life I have lived, the opportunities which I have been given would be unimaginable to many within this world, so hit me...I want to be shown the naivity of my life, my up-bringing. Honestly would I not like who I have become after all of that? I think more to the point I would find myself despising the person who I once was...who I am right now.
I appreciate the way that your challenging me Burks...it means a lot!
Just picking up on your, 'allowing yourself to be changed'. What about the alternate of 'going out of your way to change' not purely dependant upon circumstances or situation. Setting out first to work out what needs to change rather than seeing what happens when change does come along is a greater preparation for stretching yourself and growth... pinpointing the areas targets specifics and In my own life I've found it more effective.
I've come from a position where I hated change with a passion - due to being uprooted etc. from having lived overseas (and numerous other things) to where I now actively seek change right where I am.
It is fantastic to have dreams, a desire to go somewhere, to shake your mentality (which can be often what's needed) but we too often forget the everyday and the change of outlook that we can impliment by just working out where we have enclosed ourselves in a 'box' of safety/naievity.
challenge yourself :)
Burks I'm not going to say that anglo-ignorance doesn't exists, because I know it does, and whether you want to believe it or not, I may be anglo-saxon myself, but I've found myself copping it from other anglo's also, not in the same way as you...when is anyones experiences ever the same? they can be similar, but they're never identical, and we rarely react in the same way.
In the spirit of honesty, I'm going to say that I found what you had to say to me offensive too. The first thing I thought was..."You don't know the first thing about me, and yet you feel you can make assumptions..." Okay, so you've been through crap before, and I'm sincerely sorry for that, if at any point I added to that, then I apologise and I mean that.
However,for the last 3 years of my life I have been living in a flat with 7 other people, and within that time I have had the pleasure of sharing my habitat with others of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Malaysian heritage, yes I may still be incredibly naive...but I'm trying, I'm doing the best I can, I'm asking them to share with me their culture, I'm learning...
while I said that I won't say that anglo-ignorance doesn't exist, I will say this...I'm doing what I can to eradicate that ignorance from my life.
Thankyou both Bec and Burkie, your challenges keep my feet moving, and reminding me why I'm doing what I'm doing...
I appreciate that more than you know!
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