Moving, Staying -- Building God's Kingdom

- September 21, 2015

My Daughter Kathryn will be home after 3 years in missions with YWAM in Australia, just before Christmas! She is coming for a few months before she goes off again on her next part of her journey with God! As I read through her texts about some of her friends on her YWAM base leaving and also of her preparing to say goodbye I just want to cry. I know a wee bit of how she is feeling as I've moved many times. I have advised her not to shut her emotions down as I have done in the past, as I know it's hard to deal with them but I know it's better to stay connected as its part of loving people and being loved, but what I can’t help her with from personal experience, is moving back home as I've only gone home to visit since leaving and I know that it can be difficult when everything and everyone including yourself has changed, and confusion and miscommunication can be a result.

After reading this blog-- http://www.rockyreentry.com/for-friends-and-family/. and reading through the comments I noticed a common thread that many felt like failures after returning home from missions. So I want to encourage and tell them that what we do for God to help build his kingdom and loving people while trying to share Jesus with them is never a failure! Sometimes we just can't quantify Kingdom work as how can you count people that have been helped, or talked to, and that have been changed from being lost or broken? Or how can you count lives that have been touched by an action or a word that has made them feel hope, or faith, or loved or encouraged to keep going! These gifts can't be counted! Not by us... But those of you in missions are being led by God, and His ways are so different from our logical quantifiable seeking minds. He thinks so much more deeply of what is important eternally!

That’s why missions and going out into all the world is so important. God asks us to do it. Going out may mean outside to your neighbor or outside to another country and another culture. It may even mean just outside of your comfort zone, but I it always means sharing who God is. So I want to encourage all those who have gone and who may be returning either for a time or for good and thank them! God is pleased with you! You are not a failure! You are a gift!

There is one who wants to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to destroy lives but also hopes and dreams. He wants to steal anything that isn’t his! What is done for God definitely isn’t his so he will do what he can to either make you feel unimportant or a failure so that you don’t share and encourage and reach out to others. He loves to isolate us. So I want to encourage you and tell you that you have impacted the world and have made a difference in it! You have changed history and have been used to enlarge God’s kingdom. You have been obedient to God and his calling on your lives! That is the highest success! God takes delight in you!

Life is tough… Life is good… Life is so many things. But God has a plan and God is always good and God is always love and God gives us hope to build our faith to encourage and strengthen us to go!!! Go change lives, impact this world and build His kingdom!

I may be feeling a wee bit emotional, as I'm missing my loved ones. I have just had an awesome weekend at the beach with my step daughter and my two granddaughters. It was so good to wake up and see two wee girls smiling faces in the morning and then get to spend the whole day just playing and spending some good quality time with them. Then today when I woke I got a text from Kath who always makes me feel so appreciated and loved. Then tonight I got a facetime call from one of my sons and his daughter and she has grown so much since I have last seen her. That I came off the phone and cried. Too much love going on. I just hate missing them.

I think heaven will be an awesome place! I look forward to no more goodbyes and no more tears and no more longing to spend time with loved ones that are either gone or far away! But I know that where I am and where they are is where God wants them to be! Sometimes I want to question and argue that he may have got this wrong but I trust him and I know He has a plan that is much better than any I can dream of for myself. This life is temporary but what we do for God is eternal so with JOY I set my face to my calling and count it all Joy and thank God for all his gifts.