Things I never saw myself doing…

I’ve heard lots of advice over the years about the importance of making a 5-year or even 10-year plan for one’s life: ask yourself where you want to be in 5 years, envision it, and let that vision guide your goal-setting and decisions. I think it’s a great thing, even though I’ve never actually done that. But I have said YES to Jesus, I’ve attempted to follow Him (however imperfectly), and I’ve walked through the open doors in front of me. Along that path, I’ve found myself doing things I never envisioned myself doing, in places I never imagined I’d be, and I’m all the richer for it. Life has been hard at times, but it’s definitely been good!

I’ve been looking back over some old newsletters and journals, and I thought I’d share one of those ‘I-never-saw-myself-doing-that’ moments. Here’s one from 2016:

A fifty-seven year old, short, bald, American guy is sitting on a makeshift bench in a dusty market in a rural Malian village, next to the dried fish vendor with his plies of blackened, dried catfish, in 107-degree heat, selling bread and feeling slightly ridiculous. Why, for crying out loud!? As bizarre as this scenario sounds, the bread needed to be sold, and I was available. Kassim (who had baked it for market day as usual) was in another village with a well-drilling team. Sometimes you just do what’s in front of you without analyzing too much (our 100 loaves did sell out in 15 minutes, and I got some good language practice into the bargain). Bizarre on one hand, mundane on the other, but from the perspective of our guiding principle – the Word became flesh and lived among us – it was the most sensible thing to do.

As a child, I didn’t have plans – just lots of daydreams. I used to imagine myself having extraordinary adventures and doing amazing things – but I had little confidence and doubted I would get very far. As an older adult, I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to be extraordinary (and it’s better if I don’t try since that’s not really the point). One thing holds true for all of us: Whatever our confidence level, whatever we think of our abilities or lack thereof, we simply need to be willing and available. Then the God who alone works wonders can do wonderful things with us, whenever and however He chooses, while we get the joy of participating if we will only say ‘YES.’ I sometimes feel like one of those guys standing around in Jesus’ parable of the day-laborers (Matthew chapter 20:3-4). “He [the Master] saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, you go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.” There was a time in my life, way back when, when I was going nowhere fast. Then I got invited into the Master’s vineyard. I like it in here, and I trust Him to give me ‘whatever is right.’ Some days are long and tedious, and then some days are flat-out amazing – you never know! So I just keep reporting for duty.

Today I’m not in a dusty Malian village, I’m in the bustling city of Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I’m here to do some training and coaching with our Operation Christmas Child volunteers. (It’s a treat being here because I still speak one of the local languages from having lived in DRC way back when, and it brings me just a little closer to people). But just getting here was a test of endurance, and yesterday was a full day of training with some awesome people who love Jesus and who live to share the Gospel. What a privilege to serve them! Today has been a sweet day of rest and reflection – and the plan for tomorrow? I’ll just show up for another day in the Master’s vineyard, trusting in His generosity and knowing that whatever is right, He will give me.