Happily Unbalanced

It recently hit me how quickly time passes. Do you remember when you were a little kid and summer seemed to last forever...those long hot afternoons in the middle of July just trickled by, and you were itching for school to start, just to have something to do. Well, those days have long since left me, and time seems to slip through my fingers like sand through an hour glass.

Living in the States...where everything is designed to increase efficiency and productivity, the world seems to race by and your only job is to keep up with the pace. Ministry moves quickly, busyness threatens to invade your schedule, and as always, the difficulty to lead a balanced life is the greatest challenge for those in the first world.

Here in the third world we have to be OK with leading an unbalanced life. We live on the edge, with one foot in the States and the other firmly planted where our hearts abide. We operate in a place where 21st century technology collides with stark need and want. Missionaries walk the line between staying plugged into the world network while being relevant to the specific culture they serve. This, I have realized, is a tall order.

As a member of a team on the field, we want it to look easy. We want our groups to focus on the people, the projects, the needs...not the when, where, and how. We want trips to flow seamlessly in an environment that is full of logistical mountains, valleys and rocky river beds. It is a blessing when a group says they want to come and serve with us, but is an extreme honor when they reschedule even before the boarding call on their flight home.

I have to give props to missionaries all over the world...those who forsake the ease of communication and constant connectivity, all the while producing similar scale results in the sluggish Third World setting. I have to give a shout out to those who, not only do this work...but love it with everything in them...those that can't imagine doing anything else.

These people are my heroes. The modern day Pauls, Stephens, Esters and Ruths. Those who would give everything to their Father because, in the end, they trust He will give them everything in return.

All I can say is thank you. To all the people who make this possible...Thank You.