Mid-furlough Reflections

Driving in the wee hours of the morning, some part of my brain is fully alert. I slow quickly as I spot some deer near the side of the road. They glance at us before returning to their grassy meal, unbothered by our lights or the hum of our van’s motor. The four or five-lane freeway is practically empty at this hour. The kids had envisioned napping on the journey as they pushed through sleepiness to get out to the car far earlier than they are accustomed to, though for now there is no possibility of sleep as travel excitement takes over. We turn on some music to set the mood for our voyage, and then we drive.

Furlough, or “home assignment,” has been full. There has certainly been a lot of driving. We have had a couple moments of rest here and there, but for the most part, we have hardly had a chance to breathe as we travel, speak, pack, and prepare. We find that we have much more yet to do as we take account at this half-way point before returning to our “regularly scheduled” work on the field. All in God’s perfect time.

We have been tremendously blessed to see and associate with so many of our brothers and sisters as we tour our country, the place we once called home. God’s children are active in so many places and in so many ways, we can only worship the Lord as we see how it is He who directs the steps of so many. We are pleased that our paths are intertwined so often with others and that we can witness how Father is working in so many ways.

One of our many tasks here is to thank the hundreds of people who invest in our ministry – to show how we have been using their monetary resources and ask that such financing might continue. It is our great privilege to represent so many in our ministry. Again, we are touched by the interconnectedness of the church.

Yet, we are thankful for something far more valuable than money.

Our mission presentation to churches is routine for us now, though no church service, presentation, or sermon is ever exactly the same. Each church or group gets to see pictures and hear stories which are new to them, but which our children have seen and heard a dozen times. One area where we are particularly consistent, I hope, is in expressing our deep gratitude to those who partner with us. In resources, yes, absolutely. We could not do this work without the backing of so many. Though, we are grateful even more for those who sacrifice their time in prayer for our family.

It’s not uncommon for us and for other missionaries to thank our churches and supporters both for their gifts and for their prayers. I worry, though, that thanks for the prayers comes across as a tack-on to our thanks for finance. That’s not what it is.

Perhaps because it’s easier to ask someone to pray than it is to ask for their money, we feel that prayer is cheap. It could be that some promises of prayer are insincere or lackluster. Maybe the promise was real, but actual prayer for us falls to forgetfulness or some other vice of human weakness. But this is not what we find among many who pray for us. We learn that there are those who remember us, individually, in their daily prayers or in some other consistent routine of supplication. Why are we so grateful for you who lift us up in this way? Are not prayers simply words?

No. Look at Job. The Creator of all that is, Almighty God, carries on a conversation with the great deceiver in the palace of high heaven…all about one man. The enemy is given some power to test Job. Peter, likewise, in Luke’s account of Christ’s prediction of his denial, is told that the devil has asked for him. The enemy has asked God for Peter by name, that he might test Peter.

On some level we ought to be alarmed that God and Satan would look at and discuss specific people. Ordinarily, we think of ourselves as hidden, obscure, or forgettable. Yet, the third chapter of Ephesians affirms that all that the Lord does in our lives is on display to the spiritual realm. The Lord sees each of us, works in each of us, and will be glorified through His work in each, individual, one of us.

Peter knew. Peter, whom the enemy had asked of the Lord, wrote in his first letter that his readers should be wary of the devil who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” His advice? To resist and to stand firm.

It’s this idea of firmness which hints at our need for prayer. Looking again in the book of Ephesians, we are told flatly that our battle is against spiritual forces. What can we do? How can we fight a battle against spiritual forces? The simple answer is to clothe ourselves in Christ, wield God’s word as a weapon, pray, and therefore become immovable.

The goal is not for us to press forward and take ground. I’m reminded of all the times in Old Testament stories where God’s people were reminded to be still or to witness that the battle belonged to the Lord. We are meant to stand firm, to be immovable, to abide in Him. That may not sound like much, but take it from a battle-weary missionary, it’s enough.

Missionaries are human, in case you didn’t know. We are forgetful, fickle, weak... Sometimes it seems like we are accomplishing so much for the kingdom, but if we are not abiding, standing firm, then all of our works will wash away to nothing. Other times, we might be spinning our metaphorical wheels in our work, but turning to find our rest in the Lord, we find that He is working and making a display of His glorious goodness.

This is why we are thankful for those who pray, those who battle, on our behalf. There are trials and temptations at every turn, for missionaries too. We yearn for your prayers to our good and gracious Father.

When a missionary thanks you for prayers, it’s not a flippant remark. We are grateful that you would remember to struggle on behalf of us, our families, our ministries, our partners, and our host countries.

Pray always with us, and, thank you.