Small parts of a big plan

Family, friends & acquaintances frequently ask, "How can you do it?" Perhaps you're wondering too. Perhaps especially now, realizing this is not a one-time, thrill-seeking trip, but an all-out, whatever-it-costs lifestyle for us. The answer comes in three parts. First of all, I have very little responsibility in this. Secondly, the weight of my limited responsibility is carried by Jesus. Thirdly, I can't not do it.

It just looks like I'm doing a lot because I'm the one who gets to type blog entries. Yeah, seriously. The truth is I'm a very small part of a whole body of people in on this gig. I'm in partnership with lovely, loving people who make it possible for me to attempt my small part by doing their small parts. Some help prayerfully plan & prepare for the stays in Cambo. Some pray earnestly & diligently for me, my family, my Cambo siblings, the folks I work with in Cambo & the country as a whole. Some lend moral support, give encouragement & offer great advice via phone calls, email & periodic goodie boxes. Some stay in touch with my loved ones here (I do mean physically in touch; they actually come to the house) so they'll remember that they're loved & that their sacrifices are recognized. Some communicate with others to promote the work we're doing. Some invest money in materials & projects we have going in Cambo as well as my travel & keep thru collecting donations by a variety of means as well as contributing from their own resources. One turns my emails to her into a real blog. Some minister to me upon re-entry too. If I'm the face, they're the backbone in this body, to be sure.

My responsibility is to minister the generous grace & loving goodness of Jesus Christ to Cambodians. It's not my generosity, not my grace, not my love, not my goodness, but aaaaall His. I'm just a conduit between Jesus & people. He carries the lion's share of the ministry. All I have to do is remain devoted to & dependent upon Him; He does the rest. He's cool like that. And yeah, it is just that simple. Bearing in mind that simple is not synonomous with easy & the effects of being a conduit can really zap ya' sometimes. Hahahahahahaha!

The bottom line is I can't not do this. This is what Jesus wants me to do, I know that I know that I know. The real question for me is not how can I do this, but how can I say no to God? How can I deny Him anything? He is God. And, He's been sooooooooooo good to me. And, I am so crazy in love with Him. How can I not?

I think the most interesting thing about this question I'm so frequently asked is the question behind the question. I'm completely convinced that what those people are really asking is: Could I do it? Aaaaaand, the real question is not even could you, but only would you. Would you do your small part in partnership with a group of folks like yourself who're doing their small parts? If you're willing, God is able – guaranteed. It's written in blood.

12/30/10
HALLELUJAH!
~Dave is making a strong & speedy recovery!
~We have compassionate, enthusiastic, faithful supporters! (I am eternally grateful for the privilege of being your partner, you lil' dolly-dolls!)
~People are obeying God when He says, "Go hand Becky money." That's crazy-cool, eh?
~God's brought us to some EXCELLENT training materials to help us as He expands this branch of ministry. (All for You, God!)
~God does the sweetest little things to remind us of His affectionate attention toward us, doesn't He?
~I've experienced a very fruitful time of "review-recover-respond" in dealing with re-entry depression! That one gets a halle-tootin'-lujah!!

HELP!
~Yup, those treasured souls who snagged my bag & hi-jacked my ID. Keep on. For Jesus' sake, keep on.
~Ask the Lord of the harvest to call on more workers.
~Remember those "in the field" as post-holiday time can be an especially difficult time to be in there.
~Pray that I may be completely receptive as the Lord prepares me to return to Cambo-land.
~Please, join us in praying for the expansion I think God has planned for our hometown's involvement in foreign & domestic missions.

PERSONAL NOTES
Hey Peter, hope you're still reading & still arguing with yourself about what you read here. Most of all, I hope you're finding the Answer to your arguments. If you had a two-way line of communication here, we could "talk" about it all.