On The Rhoads

I just got this email from the MAF International President and I wanted to share it. Our family has certainly found this to be true. In one of the sermons I preach, I say, “If you are born again, you should never be bored again”!

Dear MAF Family,

It’s a beautiful warm (as opposed to hot!) summer day here in the south of England.  After living for 27 years in the tropics, Mikel Ann and I are still amazed that the sky can be blue with the sun shining brightly and yet the temperature remains comfortable!

I’m just finishing reading Just Courage by Gary Haugen.  Gary is the President and CEO of the International Justice Mission, a leading Christian mission working in human rights around the world.  Gary’s opening illustration really struck me and I want to pass it on to you.

As a 10 year old boy Gary joined his father and two older brothers on an adventure trip to climb a large mountain in the Pacific northwest of the US.  When they arrived at the nature reserve and visitor center at the foot of the climb the prospect of scaling that huge mountain was too much for the 10 year old.  After much begging he was able to persuade his father to allow him to stay at the visitor center all day long while his father and two brothers climbed the mountain.  Eight hours in the visitor center became very long and boring.  The ‘loop’ videos describing the history of the mountain lost their excitement.  Once he had read all the history and seen all the pictures multiple times, the visitor center lost all its appeal.  He began to wonder if he had made the wrong decision by not joining the climb.  His doubts were confirmed when his father and brothers returned, excitedly relating the story of their journey up the mountain.  Young Gary realized that he had missed an opportunity of a lifetime to be on an adventure with his father and brothers.

The spiritual application of this story is clear.  God calls us to go on the adventure with Him.  The adventure includes risk, pain, great effort and personal sacrifice.  Because of this, many people, in fact the vast majority of Christians, choose the comfort and security of the visitor center over the challenges of the adventure.  Few choose the adventure.  Few are willing to take the risks and make the sacrifices of the adventure with the Father.  And yet the rewards of scaling the mountain with Him are beyond all we could ever ask or think.

As I meditated on this truth I was blessed to think that I have the privilege of leading an organization full of people who have said ‘yes’ to the adventure!  You have sacrificed much to be where you are.  There is risk.  There is hardship.  And yet nothing compares to being on the ascent with the Father!  He has called you.  He will sustain you.  He will see you through to the top.

I wish there was some way I could express my appreciation and admiration for each one of you.  You have made the choice that most followers of Jesus are unwilling to make.  You have left all to serve Him in the remotest parts of the earth!  May God grant you a great adventure as you follow Him where you serve.

Yours in the adventure,
Ron

Tags: courage

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 7:14 am and is filed under MAF. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.