Do You Love Me?

"Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works..."

~ Heb. 10:24

two missionary homes amongst an unreached tribe in

the mountains of Papua New Guinea
(click to enlarge and get the full impact, seriously!)

This photo impacted me so much I posted in on my Facebook. So I just had to post it here!

It's from my friend's brother's website who in is Papua New Guinea with New Tribes Missions. At this very moment, their family is preparing to enter an unreached tribe with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am amazed. Just amazed. How many of us Christians would do this for our God?? I don't even know if I would, and I love Jesus and I love missions!

Imagine, no house in the suburbs, no SUV, no A/C, no hot running water, no running water at all... no internet, no TV, no sports for the kiddies, no dishwasher, no stovetop oven, no corner grocery store, no phone, no cell phone, no iPhone, no iTunes, no Playstation (we don't have those latter things, but most Christians these days I know do) ... makes me think of that verse where Jesus asks, "Do you love me?"

Do we love Jesus more? Do we really? Or do we love our comforts - the "blessings" He has so freely given? I wonder this for myself. I really do. I have always thought that if something were to happen to Tony, that I would love to be a Bible translator for Wycliffe. But would I actually do it? Could I? Of course, I don't want anything to ever happen to the light of my life, the light of our family - but if it were, then I would want to dedicate the years that remain to me to reaching others with the knowledge of Jesus. I would want to do something of eternal significance for my LORD. Not just everyday eternal signifcance. But tremendous eternal significance.

Which brings me to something else that has been on my mind for years: raising my kids. I can't begin to recount the times other Christians have brought up child rearing when the topic of missions comes up.

"But your kids are really little."
"But you have young children."
"But the children..."
But... but.. but...

But what? I can raise my children anywhere. That will always be my first and foremost ministry, second to taking care of my husband. I can do that anywhere in the world. I just don't understand the hesitancy. I still honestly, from the bottom of my heart, do not know what people mean when they bring up the "but your kids are young" argument.

Do they mean no little League? Maybe you can help me out here. Do they mean no McDonalds? No playdates with other good christian families? No what? I'm still kind of clueless, but I have been known to be way dense. My husband tells me so often.

Well, and then they are old. Graduated from school. And Tony is still working at the same job. And we're left looking at each other. With what to show for all the years of going to church, and sitting in the same seat, and raising our hands in worship, to a God we swear allegiance and our all in all to? The kids are off to college or marriage or ministry or whatever the Lord has for them. And then what?

Off to foreign lands at 60? Or worse, retirement?

No, thanks. I want to die working for the LORD. Spreading the seeds of the Gospel in places that don't have the blessings of having a church on every corner and a dusty Bible on the shelf in every house. I want to burn out on both ends reaching the lost for the One who gave everything to reach me.

"Oh, LORD, here I am! Send me!"