obstacles

Funny, that experience... 

that when you find out you're pregnant, all you see everywhere are pregnant women. 

Or prams, or babies.

When you're looking for a new car, all you see are new cars.

When you're thinking of buying an elephant statue for the garden, all you see are...

... wait.

No, that one's just me.... ?

So now when I'm thinking about mission trips all I see are blogs about mission trips.

I realise it's all a psychological something, that you actually only tune in to what's been in your face all along anyway, or you sub-consciously seek out these topics, but it's funny the way our mind tricks us into believing this.

I was doing one of my favourite things the other day - no, not the ones involving chocolate and hammocks, one of my other favourite things; listening to a podcast while out walking in the morning. (shh yes okay, it's a NEW favourite thing, don't tell my body or it might decide to give up before it becomes a habit)

In this, I heard the following - and this isn't verbatim, because if I take time out to find the podcast, listen to it, find the spot and write it all down, I'll have seen something else to listen to and completely forget to come back here....

so I heard something like this: 

"Being on a mission trip in a foreign country is different. You walk down the street and all the shop signs, the people, the smells and the food are all different. The main religion is different. Without even trying, you KNOW you're in a foreign country, you are the different one, and every moment, you're reminded of your purpose in being there"

And BAM - it hit me between the eyes ... ain't that the truth.

The speaker continued that as believers we are called to be missionaries where we are, but that it can be harder because where we are... it's not different. We get caught up in the every day and the details and the... familiarity of it all.

And forget our purpose in being here.

And then today I found this:

 "..all I can say is that ministry is way harder [home] than it ever was in [away]. Being an agent for Love and Grace in a place where people truly don't recognize their own need is really tough...
I believe Jesus has competition in the ... suburbs like no place else on Earth. Everyone here is surrounded by so much shiny new stuff, it's hard to see the Light...

Here, poverty is internal, hunger is spiritual, and need feels non-existent. But it's there."

 http://www.theveryworstmissionary.com/2012/11/jesus-in-cougar-town.html

Hands up if your church has a sign on the door as you leave which says "You are now entering the mission field".

Hands up if it occasionally makes you guilty.

Hands up if you've forgotten it's there or will check next Sunday because you can't remember.

The not-so-funny thing is that you could put that sign in front of your face, tattoo it on your hand, post-it note it on your car steering wheel, your workspace, your kitchen sink.

Everywhere you go is "entering the mission field".

Even inside your church. The sign works on the in and the out doors.

The needs all around in the everyday are different, but no less needs. 

There may not be abandoned babies but there are broken "children" of all ages.

There may not be obvious homelessness but there are emotionally displaced people looking for comfort and a safe place.

There may not be abject poverty but there are bankrupt hearts.

The needs are different, but not less.

And that's not saying being the missionary in your own day to day is easy. 

Far from it. There are always distractions, always frustrations.

So much hurt has already been done in the world by Christians using their agenda not God's, and it can be a scary place to go - putting yourself out there. Christians fail every moment of every day because they are human.

Whether overseas or in our backyard, we need open eyes and open hearts to really see what's to be seen. Because sometimes our biggest obstacle is ourselves.