Hey you! If you're reading this blog post, then you're either exploring the possiblity of or are already committed to spending two years overseas. And if you're anything like me, then you're reading up on all there is to know about living in that country and/or doing that ministry. But the truth of the matter is, that regardless of how much research you do beforehand, you can't fully know what to expect until you experience it for yourself.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river.
I recently listened to a sermon which looked at the metaphor of water used to describe the Holy Spirit. In it, the pastor used this passage from Ezekiel 47 to describe God's hopeful presence with His people amidst suffering. You see, the context of this passage is that the Prophet Ezekiel receives a promise for the people of Israel, a vision of a future in which the presence of God will be restored to the temple. This is a hope-filled message for a people suffering in exile. But what most stood out to me from this sermon was the idea that God, first through Jesus and later through the Holy Spirit, not only demonstrates His presence with us amidst suffering but also invites ordinary people like you and me to participate with Him in what He's doing, becoming agents of hope and healing that can be experienced both now and in the future. This is the invitation of the Gospel – not only to accept Jesus as Lord but to become like Jesus by living as He did. This takes on many forms, but at its heart, for the follower of Jesus this simply means incarnational living – being present not only to the suffering of others but also being a tangible example of the present and future hope available to all people because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Do you notice that as the man measures the water that he is leading Ezekiel through the water with him? The man does not ask Ezekiel, "Do you see this?" from the bank of the river but rather from the depths of it because it is not enough for Ezekiel to merely observe the river with his eyes; he needs to experience it with his whole body. And so it is with each of us who accept the invitation to come and see through firsthand experience what God is already doing in different parts of the world.
So my encouragement for you, future Goer, is this: Don't get caught up trying to "see" all that you can before moving to that country and participating in that ministry. Trust that, much like the man who led Ezekiel through the river, God will lead you as he measures the depth of the water into which He's called you. May you have the courage to follow Jesus waist-deep into the river of missions – seeing not just with your eyes from the river bank but with your entire body as you enter into the depths of missional living (with all of its joys and sorrows) as an agent of hope and healing, an embodied presence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash