Wednesday, February 11, 2009

What Is Your Nineveh?

I was recently asked to go on a mission trip to Honduras by a friend at my church. Without hesitating, I said yes. I really don't know why I said yes, I just said it. I don't have much knowledge as to what is involved on a mission trip, other than that you get to travel to another country and help in a poverty stricken environment. Last year, a bunch of guys went to Honduras and assisted in the resurrection of a church building. This years mission is in the same area, but this time we will be building adobes.
So what's the big deal you might ask. As I mentioned in one of my prior blogs, I was in the Air Force and traveled to a lot of places. I was in every air plane imaginable (except fighter jets). I served and defended my Country, lived in a tent for six months straight, and have been exposed to poverty that is hard to imagine. I LOVED IT! But....now I am a family man, I haven't traveled outside of America and I have not been on a plane in years. In fact, I have developed a slight fear of flying. I control everything in my life...what I eat, what I do, how I travel (by car, the way GOD intended) and I am even in control of my family. Going to Honduras would mean the loss of control of everything. It would be putting all control in God's hands. I have to admit that this scares me.
So now upon further evaluation, I have decided to tell myself that I do not want to go to Honduras. But what I want and what God has planned for me are two completely different things. I have tried to make excuses why this isn't right for me, "My business is really starting to grow and right now is just not the right time." Or, "I am a stay at home dad, I just can't leave and drop everything into Ann's hands." Or, "How are we going to afford this, it just doesn't fit into our budget right now." I've even made alternate plans to do some traveling on my own during the date of the Honduras trip so I won't be available to go. A good friend's mother once told me, "God laughs when we make plans."
I am sure you're all familiar with the story of Jonah. Jonah was a faithful servant of the Lord, a messenger of sorts. One day, God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh to deliver a message. God's message was that He was going to destroy their city if they did not cease all wickedness. This terrified Jonah, and he chose to ignore the Lord and go the opposite way of Nineveh. While traveling by boat, Jonah was cast into the ocean by the ships crew to spare their own lives against God's wrathful storm. There, Jonah was swallowed by a fish (it really happened) and kept in the fish's belly until he agreed to go to Nineveh.
Honduras is my Nineveh. I have done everything I could to get out of this trip because of my own fears and lack of trust of the Lord. In the past few days, I have been presented with scripture that tells me I am to go. Friends have confirmed me and spoken into my participation of this trip. I am reading a book called "The Man God Uses" by authors Henry and Tom Blackaby. Coincidentally (by Divine appointment only) the chapter I just read was labeled, "Men Who Put Limits On God" and it reads:
Other men try to put conditions on how God can use them. I've heard some say, "I know God wouldn't send me to a cold country. I just can't stand the cold." Or, I couldn't leave my family to follow God in missions. It would break their hearts." Or, "My business is going so well right now. I couldn't give it up yet to follow God."
I read this right after I made those same excuses. Truth is, my wife desires for me to go. God is clearly putting this in front of me. I have never felt, nor seen, nor heard Him so audibly than this moment in my life.
So, I guess I am going to Honduras. What is your Nineveh? Have you felt something so heavy on your heart and put it aside because of your own fears? Do you know He is calling you to something but lack the trust in Him? I encourage you to pray about it. Also, share your story with me, I would love to hear it.

2 comments:

cinciann said...

You are awesome!

Troy said...

Yeah, I guess thi hiking weekend we talked about last spring has gotten a little dose of God steroids! I was happy to hear you agreed to go. And hard or not, we will have fun.