Last month we had an appointment with a couple that had
interest in supporting us and the work in Colombia. The whole family went, as we
often do, but this appointment was slightly different. Usually our children are
busy talking or playing with each other in another room or off to themselves
while Heather and I share the vision for mission ministry. On this occasion we
shared the vision over a meal. The kids listened intently, but I thought nothing
of it. Honestly, I was just glad they were behaving so well!
That evening when we returned home, Heather and I settled at
the kitchen table to discuss our visit and how good God is. James came into the
kitchen with his wallet and painstakingly counted every dollar in it.
"Twenty, forty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, ninety-five, ninety-six...one hundred
seven." He then looked up at me with crocodile tears and said, "Dad,
the Holy Spirit is telling me to give this to support you in missions." My
jaw dropped and Heather and I began to tear up.
We held James and talked to him and he decided that instead
of giving all of his money once, that he could give $10 per month as a way to
support missions. He gave his first $10 that night and wrote on the calendar
each month a reminder to pay his support. Today, he saw the calendar and
brought his offering to give to the mission of God.
So how does this touching act of obedience from a seven-year-old
boy create an "aha moment" for me? There are actually a few reasons.
First, we had been spending most of our time sharing the what, where and how of
our ministry assignment, but were leaving out the why. That night around the
table we began to share our passion and the reasons we were moving to another
country to serve God. James had heard the what, the where, and the how for a
long time, but that night he heard his mother and father's heart. Why would we risk so much, why would we leave
everything, why go to Colombia? These had been James' questions for some time.
The second "aha moment" is that I had looked for
ministry support partners the same way Israel looked for a king in the Old
Testament. They looked at stature, status and strength. Saul met and exceeded
their expectations with flying colors, but was a failure as a king. I hate to
admit it, but I consider people's ability to partner with us. The key is that
man looks at the outside, but the Spirit looks at the heart. In James, the
Spirit found a pure heart willing to feel Him speak and willing to obey even
though it meant giving one of his favorite things...money! When the Holy Spirit
called us to be missionaries we were not people that any agency would have ever
considered recruiting. The beauty is when God calls and we respond, he changes
us and enables us. When He leads and we follow, the miraculous begins to
happen.
Can a seven year old afford $120 per year commitment for
missions? I cannot wait to see all the ways God provides for James and through
James to make Jesus known in Colombia and to the ends of the earth.
P.S. If you are wondering about our answer to "why missions", watch for our next blog.