Mission
trips are the Disneyland for Christian, college students. Thousands of packets
are sent out, essays are being written, and God expresses His love and truth in
the craziest times around that time (not that He doesn’t any other days). Once
the list is released on who is going where and when, your world fills up with
fundraisers, social media donations, and prayer requests. It’s common to see
hundreds of T-Shirts, bought to support a person, raising money to go to Africa
or the Middle East. You can hear conversations in the hallways about the
training, and how they’re scrambling to get their passport in time.
I get asked a lot if I am going on a
mission trip. I used to feel judged to say no, that I never even applied for
any trips. I didn’t even take a packet from the table. In my heart, I just
wasn’t into it. But now, I realize that it’s okay to not want to go on a
mission trip. God calls us for different things; some may be to spread the word
in Malaysia, and some, to stay home and do God’s bidding there.
It’s hard to not get jealous when I
see all these communities, getting ready to go to some place exotic, to teach
people about Jesus and the Bible. Relationships are made and everyone is bonding
over the trip. The little green monster
in me breaks out mostly because my summer won’t be spent in a different
country. I’ll probably end up home, reading, and baking. I came across this verse though, and it
stilled my heart and made me understand God’s plan for my life.
1 Corinthians
7:17 ESV
“Only let each
person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has
called him. This is my rule in all the churches.”
God’s call for me isn’t through
ministry in a different country. Maybe someday, but definitely not now. I have
no desire to go and I know now that God has put that in my heart for a specific
reason. I may not know what He has for me but, I will find out in time. I’ll
just have to be patient (which is super hard for a testy girl like me) and
trust in my faith in God.
God may want you to stay and show
love to your parents who are going through a divorce. Or maybe your friend is
going through a hard time, and He is calling you to minister to them. Whatever
the reason, God has it all in His hands. We are His children and he literally,
know us all by name (stupid and embarrassing nicknames and all).
My advice for those who are down
because they feel like they don’t want to go abroad and spread the Word, is
don’t. God calls everyone to do his bidding differently, and if everyone left
for other countries who would help and show God’s love here? He has a plan and
knows what that is. So don’t confuse the not yearning to jump at the chance to
go overseas as laziness or, being “too scared.” It’s really just God telling
you that, “No, I have better plans somewhere else.”
Everyone is
called to ministry, but it’s up to God to decide where and when.
“Be joyful in
hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”Romans 12:12
NIV
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