Following Jesus Together

Ten years have passed since the beginning of my adventure in Australia.  It seems like a lifetime ago in 2002 I was living in southern California and working in a trade when God suddenly revealed to me while doing yardwork the plans He had for me:  "You will preach, and you will be sent."  I could accept this easily enough because nothing is impossible with God, but I had many questions which in due time God answered.  It became evident Australia was the place God planned to send me long before I knew how He would do it or when.  Along the way God has provided encouragement when needed and from unlikely sources.

When I was in the preparatory stages of answering the call to minister in Australia, I was introduced to lives of two missionary women who deeply impacted me and still do this day:  Gladys Aylward of England and Isobel Kuhn of Canada.  As I read their stories it reinforced the God who called them to China was the God who called me to Australia.  The struggles and difficulties I have faced pale in comparison to the situations God empowered these ladies to endure and overcome.  I read a biography of Gladys recently I could hardly put down.  I sat beside her on lonely train rides in a foreign land where no one spoke English, freezing with cold in the midst of a war, when her expectations of ministry were shattered, when she was made to care for stubborn mules, inspect feet and when she took in orphaned children.  It is easy to idolise the vessel God employs to do His work, but all glory and honour to God for doing His miraculous works through His people.

These missionaries and sisters in Christ will always have a special place in my heart because of my connection with them as fellow servants of the living God.  They had no idea the way God would use them in the foreign mission field and how they have ministered personally to me these many decades later.  Their faith and reliance upon God who guided and provided for them is inspirational, their insights encouraging and obedience always a timely exhortation.  Reminiscing of all God has done in my life has a place for the purpose of acknowledging His goodness, yet this is not the season to remove my hand from the plow and look back:  I must look to the LORD who has much more He intends to accomplish in these days by His grace.  Complacency and self-sufficiency go hand in hand and always lead to sloth and negligence.  God has good purposes and plans for all of us to do His work, not just with the apostles in the New Testament or missionaries to China:  God calls you and me to follow Him faithfully with great joy wherever He has us as He leads the way.

May our lives provide testimonies which extol and honour our glorious LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ, and may the influence of our words and deeds prompt those in ages to come to follow and trust Him too.  Isn't it wonderful when we follow Jesus it inspires other Christians to follow Him more closely?