What is my part in the mission?

Since the start of the year, I kept asking myself if world missions is really for me. A year ago, I signed up for Nepal mission. Haplessly, I wasn’t included in the team that left for Nepal. I think that’s because God saw that I was still not wholehearted with the mission thing that time–that it’s 50% for the purpose of the ‘real mission’ and 50% is for travelling purposes. I didn’t feel bad at all because I know that God has His own reasons and He knows exactly when’s the right time for me to go out (if ever).

During the mid part of this year, my heart for missions gradually tapered off. While more and more people from our church are going out of the country to do missions, I suddenly found myself on a retreat from this particular field.

I must admit, there’s still a bigger part of me who still wants to go to far-flung places where they know less or nothing about Christ, but maybe, just maybe, going out of the country to join the world missions isn’t really for me this time.

My sister signed up for missions for next year. Honestly, I asked God why can’t I do that. I kept asking God what He wants me to do right now and why do I have a feeling like I was suddenly put on a halt in terms of my growth in my Christian life. Why is He not sending me out like what He’s doing with the others?

In His own majestic way, God answered me through this daily inspirational thought which I’m subscribed to:

While the way people do missions has varied throughout the years, the idea of “goers” and “senders” has not.  God continues to call people to go and preach His message to people throughout the world, and He continues to call others to help send people on their way.

The Apostle Paul talked about this idea in his letter to the Christians in Rome, written almost 2,000 years ago.  Paul wrote:

“…for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:13-15).

In the past, these verses have conjured up in my mind a vision of missionaries climbing over the top of a mountain in some remote jungle, bringing the good news of Christ to the people in the valley below.  As the villagers would hear this good news being proclaimed to them—news that they had been longing to hear for years—they would exclaim, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Today I read that passage with a different vision in mind.  Why?  Because, in many ways, I’m now a missionary myself, writing to people all over the world to encourage them to put their faith in Christ for everything in their lives.  The scenery has changed, but the principle is the same.  

Instead of climbing a misty mountaintop, I’m sitting at my desk in my bedroom, looking out over miles and miles of wide open spaces.  I’m on the second floor of a two-story, traditional American farmhouse in the heart of the great midwest.  There are no mountains to block my view, and only a few other farmhouses dotting the ground in the distance.  The corn and soybean fields have been harvested for the year, so all that’s left is a clear view of the horizon in every direction.  

Yet when I push the “send” button on my computer, I realize that this message I’m writing will make its way over the plains, across the country, under oceans, into the sky and back down to the earth again.  

Within an a instant, this message will show up in places like Papua New Guinea, an island half-way around the world in the South Pacific, where someone just signed up to receive these messages on Monday, saying, 

Missions is changing, but the message stays the same.  When Jesus told His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation,” (Mark 16:15) He didn’t put any limits on where to go, how to go, or who to go to.  He just said to, “Go!”  He wanted them to take the message as far as they could, starting in Jerusalem, spreading out to Judea and finally to the ends of the earth.    

I was then reminded of my previous post about insignificance when God told me that He called me out for a different mission. I don’t have to feel insignificant or any less at all because there’s a very special task that He called me out to do.

Through this article, I was blessed to realize my role in the missions. I may not be included in the courageous soldiers of God going out into the international battlefield to spread the Good News but I know I have played and I’m still playing a great part in those missions. I may not be one of the ‘goers’ but at least I’m part of the ‘senders’ and that alone already made a difference.

God placed a different passion in my heart and I have a different role to play. Perhaps it’s through my writing, through this medium, this piece of sanctuary I call my own on the web, that I could pursue this part that God called me for. I have received really touching messages from people I know and some I don’t who told me they’re blessed with my posts about God and that those posts helped them realized God’s importance in their lives in one way or another. Maybe that’s why God blessed me with this talent to write and express my thoughts through writing–this is my part of the Great Commission and this is how God wants me to share great things about Him.

“For some of you, this may be a reminder of what God has already called you to do.  For others of  you this may be a confirmation of what God has been stirring in your heart in recent weeks or months.  And for some of you, this may be a totally new thought—a totally new direction that God wants you to take in your life.  Whatever the case, I want to encourage each of you to get involved in whatever mission God has put in front of you.”

 

Each one of us has a part to play in spreading the Good News and all of those roles are of equal significance. Seek God with all your heart and ask Him what role He wants you to play. Once you receive His answer, do your part with all your strength and with joyfulness of the heart☺

 

“Am I Insignificant?”

It’s really been a while since I last heard Jesus’ whispers. I know I am in a particular episode in my life when He is stretching my patience and perseverance and at the same time, letting me use the wisdom He blessed me with to understand what He’s been trying to teach me since the start of this season. I’ve been praying to Him, asking Him to make me understand what He’s up to and what I should do next. But He’s been so silent, as if letting me figure it out on my own or maybe telling me to just wait some more and just relax.

Until yesterday when Jesus finally let me hear His sweet whisper again.

The entire Victory Malate family was at the PICC yesterday to celebrate the church’s 15 years of honoring God and making disciples. At one point during the celebration, actually after the preaching of Pastor Steve Murrell, Pastor Nixon went up the stage, showed a video of what the church is expecting to happen by faith in the coming years which is to make Jesus known all over the nations and the world, and asked everyone afterwards to talk to Jesus on our own on whoever He wants us to disciple and share the good news about Him to.

In my prayer, I actually asked Him  what He wants me to do. I’m not really good in discipling people. I do share the good news about Jesus when my friends or any people who come to me to share their problems. Some of them would tell me that they’re blessed with the words I share to them, but when I invite them to come to church, they would always beg off. In my shallow state I would often feel that I am so insignificant when it comes to following the Great Commission of Christ which is to go and make disciples just because I can’t even invite my friends to attend the church.

During the course of my short prayer, Jesus comforted my weary heart by assuring me that I am not of less value and importance as that of His other sons and daughters going to missions or are so proactive in fishing for people. Jesus actually told me that I am in fact doing a very special role in His Great Commission. He told me He actually chose to place me to the field, to a particular group of people where He knows I could do excellently in sharing the good news about Him—WITH THE CHILDREN. Jesus told me that He sees my strength with the kids and that’s one of the reasons why He took me out of my previous professional field and put me into the world of teaching.

Tears fell down while I was praying to Jesus that time. I kept thanking Him for letting me hear His voice again and for assuring me that I am not insignificant at all. Then I was reminded of that time when I heard His voice for the second time when He told me that I am not invisible in His eyes through directing me to the story of Gideon in the Bible. It’s been the second time that Jesus talked to me to reassure that I am His dear daughter and that He is concerned and pleased about me just as He’s also pleased with the other church leaders who are actively doing their part in Christ’s commission.

Perhaps I am in a season when Christ is teaching me to find security in Him alone, that I should not be reminded time and again of His love for me because even if I don’t hear His voice as often as I would want to, the constant TRUTH of His unconditional love for me never changes. This has been one of the toughest seasons of my life since I started my walk with Jesus but I know that this season is going to bring a lot of understandings, realizations, and great awakenings in my life.

I know this season isn’t bound to end sooner but I am more faithfully excited now to what it’s going to bring to my life. Bring it on God! I am just amazed at how He could make you feel His presence even at times when you feel so far from Him☺

One of the big differences in knowing Christ and living a life according to the world is that with Christ, you know that when you experience struggles, you consider it as a season of understanding what Christ wants you to do or He is teaching you on some points of your life. If you live a life according to the terms of this world, you view these struggles as burdens,curses, or even punishments because of the bad things you’ve done. It’s better to live a life of teachings than to live a life full of punishments☺

Not Your Everyday Sweet Treats from God:-)

Miracles do happen to people everyday. The fact that you’re still alive reading this post is one great proof of that statement. We know that He works in our lives but sometimes, the way He works seem too obvious for us to notice–like we could really feel Him walking beside us, doing the miracle right before our very eyes.

Last night, I was privileged to experience and witness firsthand some sweet treats from God:-)

Since it’s a Friday, I could stay late to finish my online work so I decided to yield into my friend Michelle’s long-standing invitation for a videoke night. She and Erika wanted to go to Redbox. Being the budget-conscious that I am these days since I’m trying to save up for my upcoming trips, and Redbox being super expensive, I looked for some cheapo but still fine videoke place along Makati. Haplessly, either the places I suggested were already fully booked for the entire night, or Erika and Michelle doesn’t like the place.  Alright, so I decided to just give in to their going-gagah-over-Redbox mood. In my mind, I’m starting to calculate my budget and my savings if ever I’ll splurge a bit that night. However, since I sort of promised God that I will try not to do so much calculations about my money this year, I decided to stop my mental computations and opted to just entrust my budget to God.

And the first treat happened….

My sister kept nudging me about that Coffee Bean tumbler which I promised to give her as a post-Christmas gift. I don’t really have extra that time since I planned on buying it for her the next month. However, i thought of just giving it to her now so she’ll stop making kulit na. I was pretty sure of the amount of folded money I had in my wallet that time but to my surprise, I got extra P500 bill in that fold.  I really can’t believe it but I didn’t dwell much on the questions as to how that P500 bill got there or thought of other bills I forgot to pay. I just thanked God for I know that He’d just provided me an extra for that night.

On our way to Makati, the rain was falling sparingly. When we reached Ayala Avenue, Michelle texted me saying Redbox was already fully booked so she asked if we could just dine out or have coffee. That was the second treat of God:-) He just saved my P499!

Okay, so I dropped off my sister to her office and went straight to Mandarin Hotel where Erika and Michelle were waiting for me. On my way there, the rain began falling generously. I prayed to God to make the rain stop so we could enjoy the night out. To my dismay, the rain fell even heavier that i just decided to pass by the lobby of Mandarin Hotel instead of the employees’ entrance. Little did I know that the next surprises were up for grabs:-)

I went straight to the Public Relations office and saw my former colleagues there. Since we’re no longer going to Redbox, ERika left na for her yoga class. We exchanged some kwentos and kamustahans before Michelle decided to eat at Tin Hau. I would really want to just dine out since first of all, Tin Hau’s very expensive since it’s rate is that of a 5-star hotel; and second of all, I would want us to have more freedom to make kwento. But Michelle insisted and I couldn’t disagree more since the rain was really falling very hard that time. So we went to Tin Hau which is located at the 2nd floor of Mandarin Hotel. I just decided to prepare myself and my wallet  for the worst.

We ordered my favorite almond shrimp and two other dishes. Michelle then decided to invite the other PR ladies who came after me–Chenee and Donna. Since the PR boss was still in the office working, we decided to invite Ms.Charisse to join us, too. I missed her anyway so i thought it would be nice to exchange kwentos with her again after i left Mandarin. Good thing, Ms.Charisse accepted our invitation and joined us for a late dinner. After almost an hour of laughs and chats, Ms.Charisse decided to leave na since she still has millions of things to do for the upcoming event of the hotel. Few more minutes after Ms.Charisse left, Michelle asked for the bill. To our bewilderment, the manager of Tin Hau told us that Ms.Charisse already signed the bill (meaning, it would be deducted to her personal ledger on payday). We immediately called Ms.Charisse and confirmed it with her, and she just said it’s her treat to us. That moment, I could really hear the angels sing:-) My money just got saved again:-) And we even had free desserts courtesy of  Tin Hau’s manager.

Off to my last treat for the night…

Since the night’s still young, we decided to chill at Martini’s–the bar inside Mandarin Hotel. However, since Martinis has a dress code and I was wearing a jumpsuit last night, we decided to just stay at Captain’s Bar. Michelle ordered ladies’ drinks for us. The price of the drinks at that lounger is higher than your usual bar since it’s a hotel rate. Nevertheless, I just gave in since I haven’t spend a single amount for a food that night. So we chatted and chatted until we felt tired of talking and laughing. When we were about to get our bill, the attendant at Martinis told Michelle they’ll just fix the bill the next day because they’re just so busy that time. They didn’t even bother  checking what our orders were and how much would that be just in case. Well perhaps because they know us and they could see Michelle everyday in the hotel. But still, it’s close to saying  ‘hey, don’t bother paying. it’s our treat!’ And to this moment, no one ever contacted Michelle for that bill.

You see, I got lots obvious of sweet treats from God last night. I could really picture Him smiling at my bewilderment with the way He orchestrated everything for that spur of the moment lakad. From the rain that didn’t stop when I prayed for it to stop to the last part of that gimik night, I really felt God with us. God didn’t listen to my prayer for the rain to stop because if He did,  I would have not experienced and enjoy His other treats for me which He carefully prepared for me, for us, that night. I would have not enjoyed His other blessings had I just relied on the money in my wallet and in my worries about my savings.

Indeed, God is really a God of miracles and wonderful smiles. Just when you thought there’s no way out, He’ll come crashing a wall just so you can pass through it and meet His provisions there:-)

I’m expecting a miracle today. Are you?