Control - Sure you Do

Control. Most peoples favorite thing to obtain, hold or manage. Disagree? Look at a few examples: politics - all about whose got control, teenage independence - fight for control, money - subtle control through the coercion of cash, power - the ultimate control. Crazy thing is that often on the mission field we also fight for control. In the West, we try and control things in a distant place. We don’t mean too. We just can’t help ourselves unless we intentionally fight our human nature. We Americans probably have the biggest hitch in the control department. We try and control things without asking questions of our foreign hosts. We mean well, we try hard, we just forget that more money ain’t more smarter. Bigger houses do not lead to bigger ideas. Faster cars don’t make us more patient once we get there, wherever there is. Often, typically and most likely, we need to take a deep breath and give up a little control — In the mission field, in our life and in our walk. What a great relief to walk into a foreign country and ask them what we should do there, in their home country, province or church.

We are better people when we give up a little control. Your not really in control anyway, you know that’s true, but we just can help but reach for it anyway. Get your spouse to do it your way. Manipulate the kids to make your decision not theirs. Get a teacher to change a grade. Get a coach to pick my kid not yours. Unfortunately, I do all of these things from time to time.

Cuba. Cuba is awesome. I am definitely not in control. Little or no cell phone. No internet. Don’t speak Spanish (I know, crazy right—no Spanish). Barely know where we are going day to day. But God knows. My friends know. I give up control, they take over. Wanna make a friend? Give them the control. Wanna change the world? Go do something where your not in charge. Let Go.

May God go with you…

Dr. Rick

Peace Unplugged

“Cells phones off” used to be a thing when you traveled to remote locations. Not so much anymore. I miss it really— the “gift of being unplugged”. We all banter with our children and teenagers about setting down the phone and actually talking to humans, face to face and knee to knee like days past. Ahh, but cell phone service is available almost everywhere now. WWJD. I doubt He’d text me. I think He would walk down the street, chat with the neighbors, visit the widow or get acquainted with someone new. I don’t usually get the service turned on in a far away place. Kinda defeats the point. A time away, a little peace for reflection and a short break from the control I typically require in my life. Control—that what it all comes down to. A little peace or the fantasy of control, your choice. Ideally, we give up control but the irony is that we never had it much anyway. Control seems like its ours until we get wacked and realize we don’t own the controller. What a deal we get to make, give up control that you don’t really have and trade it for peace that we can have if we trade in “control”. I still don’t like it much though, ‘cause like you, I like to hold the wheel. Little bitty kids have a steering wheel on their little cars and they think they’re driving! We all like to check in with the office, look at our stocks, check sports, tweet, tag, post, email and all the rest. All the while trying to steer our lives—like we’re actually in control. Planning, sure. God honors plans. Most of the rest can wait for a few days. We probably won’t put down our phones at home but maybe while we’re far away we could take a few minutes or a few days and see what God has for us in the moment with those crazy humans who we came to meet and to share a little piece of life together. Peace is a little slower than gmail but I think I’ll try and wait; I could use a little more peace.

Peace of Christ

Dr. Rick

Empty Suitcase - Full Heart

Have you ever had a suitcase that was so packed that you thought the zipper might burst or the seam explode? Squished down and pressed to make it all fit? Well, that’s what packing for Cuba looks like. We take everything we think we might need so that when we head for the foothills of the mountains or rumble through the ruts of some dusty small town road, we have all our little accoutrements that make our lives just a bit more comfortable: breathable fishing shirts and lightweight hiking pants that make the tropics tolerable for the latitude challenged. Nice things, lots of stuff…some for them and some for us. I love a full suitcase ‘cause it means I have more stuff to give away in the countryside or the urban apartments. The stuff I take might satisfy an unknown need for a day or a week or a nice pair of shoes-for a year. But, oh man, what I get to bring back in my empty suitcase lasts immeasurably longer than a week or a year.

We often go on missions trips wondering how we might be of help, not considering how we might be helped. How we might show God to our new friends and not considering how new friends mights show how much God loves us. How a prayer warrior with less than me prays more than me and for me. How I change forever by changing cultures for a short while. God sends us in with a full suitcase but he requires us to empty it both figuratively and literally as we make room for so much more. We have to unpack and discard and give away and then we are filled up and repacked and alive. We go to strange places and strange cultures and take our stuff in full suitcases but we leave all that behind and return with full hearts and blessed spirits. Away from the distractions of work and the daily grind of life, we find some peace as we read and think and pray. A faraway place seems to always make God a lot closer.

Go on a mission trip-take a full suitcase. Empty it. Bring home a full heart.

Be bold, try it. Leave some stuff behind and get filled up instead.

Blessings

Dr. Rick