Yes, LORD!
There are many opportunities in life to be obedient, to serve God, to be willing.
My life has been an interesting journey for me in this regard. It took many years, many restless nights and many soul searching moments before I was ready to surrender and pursue Bible translation, but God kept touching my heart and kept pushing me to be willing.
Ironically, after I got to the point of being willing to do Bible translation, it became a fixation of sorts. However, my world kept being rocked by this question, "Are you willing to do ANYTHING?"
Yes, LORD, I am willing to do anything.
Next, came the process of surrendering where. "Are you willing to go ANYWHERE?" Sure . . . at least, so I thought. Again, I was caught in a cycle of worry, anxiety, unrest, and I was without peace. Thankfully, this process took three months (although they were exhausting) rather than years like the previous one.
Yes, LORD, I am willing to go anywhere.
I thought my willfulness had been broken. Not to say that I have in any way overcome my willfulness . . . no, it is often still a daily battle. Rather, I can rest in the fact that the battle has been won and my job is to dwell in this willingness on a daily basis.
However, recently I have struggled with unease and restlessness. My heart was set on going to PNG in August. Even though I recognized that God's timing is better than my own, I had my plan and thought it was a pretty good one. During the past couple weeks, I have been challenged with the idea that perhaps I was holding on to August more than I realized . . . more than I ought to have been. "Are you willing to go ANYTIME?"
Yes, LORD, I am willing to go anytime.
This has been the latest battle, but more than likely it won't be the last one. Willingness . . . anything, anywhere, anytime. It's my heart's desire. Some days are better than others. Dr. Helen Roseveare, a medical missionary in the 1900's, once said that when she felt the call to missions she prayed and said, "God, I'm saying yes now. I know there will be days when I want to say no. Please keep hearing my yes, and not my no."
Sometimes my willingness will falter, but that doesn't mean I'm failing. It just means I need to cling fast to God's promises and work to be willing again.
May the cry of my heart be, "Yes, LORD!"
My life has been an interesting journey for me in this regard. It took many years, many restless nights and many soul searching moments before I was ready to surrender and pursue Bible translation, but God kept touching my heart and kept pushing me to be willing.
Ironically, after I got to the point of being willing to do Bible translation, it became a fixation of sorts. However, my world kept being rocked by this question, "Are you willing to do ANYTHING?"
Yes, LORD, I am willing to do anything.
Next, came the process of surrendering where. "Are you willing to go ANYWHERE?" Sure . . . at least, so I thought. Again, I was caught in a cycle of worry, anxiety, unrest, and I was without peace. Thankfully, this process took three months (although they were exhausting) rather than years like the previous one.
Yes, LORD, I am willing to go anywhere.
I thought my willfulness had been broken. Not to say that I have in any way overcome my willfulness . . . no, it is often still a daily battle. Rather, I can rest in the fact that the battle has been won and my job is to dwell in this willingness on a daily basis.
However, recently I have struggled with unease and restlessness. My heart was set on going to PNG in August. Even though I recognized that God's timing is better than my own, I had my plan and thought it was a pretty good one. During the past couple weeks, I have been challenged with the idea that perhaps I was holding on to August more than I realized . . . more than I ought to have been. "Are you willing to go ANYTIME?"
Yes, LORD, I am willing to go anytime.
This has been the latest battle, but more than likely it won't be the last one. Willingness . . . anything, anywhere, anytime. It's my heart's desire. Some days are better than others. Dr. Helen Roseveare, a medical missionary in the 1900's, once said that when she felt the call to missions she prayed and said, "God, I'm saying yes now. I know there will be days when I want to say no. Please keep hearing my yes, and not my no."
Sometimes my willingness will falter, but that doesn't mean I'm failing. It just means I need to cling fast to God's promises and work to be willing again.
May the cry of my heart be, "Yes, LORD!"
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