How many times have you been asked to do a trust-fall over the years? How many times did it take to do it ‘right’ with your legs completely straight and no catching yourself? For me, it took years of summer camps and group trainings before I was able to fully let go...and it is still hard. Life as a Christian can be like that sometimes. God whispers in our ear, “Trust-fall,” and asks us to lean into Him. How easily do we do it? Do we buckle and try to save our own skin? Or do we let His arms wrap around us in a protective embrace? God was putting together the pieces. -Whitney McMunn At our most recent Global Café, missionary speakers Kirby and Whitney McMunn talked about seeking God and stepping out of comfort zones. Separately, they have gone through their journeys of finding their individual faiths. Then, together, the pair melded dreams and goals they had in connection to Christ. Eventually the call to missions became impossible to ignore and they started searching for what God had planned. However, the call on their hearts wasn’t drawn in a straight line from A to B. (It rarely is.) As Whitney mentioned, “He [God] said to me, ‘Your place is where I send you when I send you,’ because missions is for all peoples.” That meant patience. It meant slow progress and strong prayer. It meant learning and growing in local places before getting the chance to move away. It meant trusting God’s timing more than their own and waiting for the right open door. Eventually, that open door became clear. Kirby explained how they felt upon talking to missionaries already in the Czech Republic (what was to become their field), saying, “From the very first video chat that we had, it began to resonate in our hearts.” Over time, Kirby and Whitney spent time on the field and learned more about the ways Christ’s kingdom was moving in that place and with those people. The couple, working with Remedy Church, focuses on discipleship and evangelism. The center of these focuses is that they take the time to invest in lives around them, showing God’s light and love. Kirby, Whitney, and all the other Christians on that field do trust-falls into Christ’s arms every day. It is their hope that non-Christians will continue to see the rewards of devotion to God and will take the opportunity to love Him and learn more about Him. We can continually pray that more of the Czech community will put their trust--their very lives--in Christ. Whitney and Kirby went on to discuss how commitments to Christ will be challenged. But taking up the challenge is worth it. Kirby put it well when he said, “We’re supposed to focus on Christ and that’s it. ...When we are the light of Christ, we are fulfilled.” It shouldn’t matter what obstacles get in our way; they can be overcome with the Lord. It shouldn’t matter how long His plan takes or how slowly His call comes into fruition. We need to focus on Him wholeheartedly. No doubts or leg-buckling or catching ourselves. Whitney began the night with a quote I am using to end the article. “God was putting together the pieces.” Will you trust His picture, His plan, His putting-things-together? It can be difficult, but with prayer and scripture and fellowship...we can take our trust-falls every day. ----- [published by Jessie Denning - cabinet member 2016-2018; picture credits to Hayley Sebree - cabinet member 2018-2019] |
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April 2020
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