A Forever Promise

Author unknown

"I have a promise to keep."

The service ended. My husband and I had just shared about going to a SE Asian country to teach English to government officials for 2 years. People began to gather around.

"Wow! That really spoke to me. To think that a promise made to God by a l0 year old would be that important!"

Missions was a big part of life in my family. I was ready by the time I was ten to commit my life to foreign missions. I have never made promises lightly. Mine was a forever promise, which affected all future decisions: college, career, marriage. At each change point in our lives, God kept us in our home country, but the promise was still there. It was the focus of my life. I wrote about missions, I taught about missions.

Finally I began to realize that the place is not important. What God is asking of every Christian is a commitment to be part of fulfilling the Great Commission . He wants us to share His heart, His vision for the world. He seeks our involvement wherever we are. I believe we can be involved effectively only if in our hearts, all our lives, we are on "tiptoe readiness" to pack up and go, should the Lord so direct.

One day as I sat curled up in an old overstuffed armchair in our back bedroom, the sun pouring in the window overlooking my flower garden, I pled with God for my older daughter at a low point in her life. The Lord stopped me short. "Why don't you ask something for yourself?"

Startled, I replied, "Okay, but I don't know what to ask."

"Ask of me and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.' Psa.2:8

"I don't see how that can happen because my husband is in full-time Christian work here and we have a very needy child, but I will ask."

From that time on, in a deeper way than ever before, my focus and calling became missions and the Lord began to bring significant opportunities to build mission vision in others. I was content and fulfilled.

The years went by. Our children married. For several years, my elderly parents needed our help, and the Lord gave us the privilege of walking hand in hand with them through their final days. Both died in our home. My husband felt he could comfortably leave his home mission work in other hands. Finally we were free! At age 63 were we still on "tiptoe readiness" to leave all that was familiar? Was the promise both of us had made as children still valid for overseas?

We decided to explore and we started application with Wycliffe. Everything moved quickly. Pierre quit his job at almost 64, we went to orientation for short term members, committed ourselves to meet a need in SE Asia for 2 years, took care of legal matters for early retirement, met with churches and individuals; and a year after my father died we had started language study in the far away country of God's choice.

Often, as we walk down the crowded street, immersed in a totally different culture, we still have to pinch ourselves. Has the promise been easy to keep? Sometimes when we are able to touch into peoples' lives at least a little and when we can see we are meeting a need, we are thrilled to be here. Sometimes when we are missing our children and grandchildren a lot and longing to experience something familiar, it's hard, but we have found the Lord faithful and true to all His promises. It's been a privilege to walk with Him here as pilgrims -- for His Kingdom.

Now, in our final months, we're wondering, is the Lord asking just 2 years? The needs are great. We now know firsthand some of the cost as well as rewards. We seek the Lord's direction. Our promise is still a forever one.

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