Going...and Staying

Well, it is almost time to go.  We are excited.

But are we excited for the right reasons?

Are we excited just because we get to have a new experience?  Or because we get to travel out of the country (even if it is just across the border and you can still see the border from there)?  Or because we get to take a "vacation" and get out of the city for a while?

Are we excited to be able to serve others?

Yes, we do enjoy giving.  We do like to share.

But what will we be sharing?  Will we be sharing that which is "more important than the body," "more important than food?"  Will we be sharing that which is important for the soul for eternity?

And if we are concerned about what is important for eternity, can't we just "stay?"  Study in Brown has had a series of posts lately on missions and justice that have given me much to think about, especially this one.

Perhaps "going" is pointless if I'm doing nothing while I'm "staying."  OK, not perhaps.

And am I prepared to preach the word "in [this] season" in Mexico?  What about "out of season" as I'm hustling and bustling about my busy life?

"Can You Share the Gospel" is a challenge to me.  I want to be prepared.  (I'm wishing we could attend the "White Unto Harvest" conference, but it is very unlikely, so perhaps I can manage to get the conference audios.)

In the meantime, I will pray.  Lord, give me a heart "to love the broken right next door," or those standing on the highway off ramp or at the stop light with their "homeless" signs, or those at the homeless shelter downtown, or at the pregnancy center down the street.

And while we are gone, we will actively prepare by:

• Learning and memorizing some effective ways to share the Gospel.  (The Navigators shares three simple ways here.)
• Watch the videos/listen to the audios shared in the "Can You Share the Gospel" post above.
• Make plans for more ways to share the good news as we stay.