just normal folks like you

With all of the constant preparation for moving our family overseas, we have heard a lot of talk lately about us being "special," "amazing," "brave," "extraordinary!" The list of wonderful adjectives we have been called, at least to our faces, has been super-flattering and enough to make our head's swell. Unfortunately, the sad reality....and this is a secret just between you and me, is that John and I (and I'm especially talking about myself when I write this) are just your normal, everyday, run-of-the mill, dirty, rotten sinners. Yep! You now know the truth. We are just your average folks who daily struggle in thought, deed, and/or actions. We get frustrated with each other, with our kids; we get stressed out; we question God; we are sometimes lazy; we can over eat, overspend, over talk, over analyze, neglect the word of God or even be prayer less. We, in our minds, are extremely under qualified to do the task that is set before us.

Just this past week (BUT NEVER BEFORE :) ), we had major behavior issues with our kids; nope, their not perfect either. We were sitting in church when one of our children came back from the bathroom with urine on their clothes (no biggie if they would've told the truth), then they lie to us about it and continue to have a bad attitude towards us over their bad choice. I'm saying "they" as to keep the anonymity of this precious lil' one. Anyway, all of this is in church! It's so hard to worship when your sitting next to a urine covered, sour-hearted, liar. But it's even harder to worship when I'm the one who needs some deep cleansing from the inside out. This cleansing comes from Christ alone.

I am no more special than any other person who has trusted Christ for the redemption of their sins. But the hope that I DO have comes from what Christ did for me on that cross. This hope enables me to sell everything I own, leave my family, friends, culture, language and life. This hope is my pathway to God as well as my future. I am reminded that when God looks at me, He doesn't see me, He sees Christ. He sees all the Glory of Heaven when His eyes gaze upon me. I recently found out (thanks, Joseph) that this is called imputed righteousness. I will never forget these words. Instead of seeing the truth of my condition, He sees all of the perfection of Christ. How awesome!

I am not able to do what God has called us to do. I am not prepared to do what God has called us to do. I am not equipped to do what God has called us to, but Christ is! We won't be doing any of this without Him. I can rest, because I know that if God can offer forgiveness through Christ, and I can receive it, then He is able to do anything in my life - even the impossible like planting churches in a foreign land where there seems to be no hope.

The truth is that we aren't extraordinary or amazing or special (my parents might not agree) and our kids are far from perfect. But our GOD IS perfect!! He is all of the things that we are not. If there is anything good in me, it is definitely God!

I write this to encourage you to dispel the myth of "perfection" about missionaries or pastors or anyone else in ministry. We are just sinners who have said "yes" to God (thanks John Evans). If there is anything attractive about us or our lives, it is the work of Him who has called us.

If God is calling you to serve him, despite your sin, will you obey? Will you heed is call? After all, the Bible is filled with amazing, extraordinary, special, and "called" heroes that were normal folks just like you and me.