Something Big

The more I talk to people that are around my age, the more I hear their passion and how they feel that the Lord is going to do “something big” with their lives to advance His Kingdom. “Well, right now I flip burgers at In’n’Out (oh, how I miss that place), but I feel like the Lord is going to use me to preach around the world… or I want to start a homeless shelter… or I want run an orphanage… or I want to (fill in the blank)”

I think about this and it seems to be that one of two things are happening. Either one, it is a perfectly normal thing that happens when people are in there twenties and at some point they’ll stumble across a good paying job, fall in love, get married and live a “normal” life, which is sweet and option one. Or two, there is something special about my generation (as opposed to The Who’s generation) and we’re going to move the world in unheard of and radical ways for Christ.

I like to look at the people in the Bible and see how they served the Lord. Each one is so unique. Paul was an anointed preacher, writer and theologian and the Lord used him to add many people to the His family. There has never been another Paul, but some people have walked in a similar anointing and calling in their lives. Same with Peter, Moses and David. People that have these amazing roles in the story of God. They are righteous leaders that the Lord used in amazing ways.

It is my firm belief that the Lord wants to use every single person in big ways. “Big” can of course look very different from person to person and calling to calling. I named some of the more renowned leaders in the Bible, but there were other people that the Lord used in huge ways. Think about Noah, he loved the Lord, and God told him to build a boat, a really big boat, but a boat all the same. In faith, Noah did what the Lord asked him to do, the Lord brought animals and it led to the preservation of mankind. Or Nehemiah, he was an anointed leader, but it looked totally different. He motivated and led the demoralized Israelites to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He was a builder, previously a cupbearer. Not a king, not a prophet, not a priest. The Lord used him tremendously all the same. How about Mary? She is so admired throughout the Christian eras. What did she do? She was faithful to the Lord and what He told her to do. She did “something big” for one Person and that one Person went on to pay the price and overcome death on behalf of all of humankind.

There are people that the Lord uses to run these huge orphanages and they positively affect the lives of so many African children. Praise God for that its Him using them in their something big. We have 26 kids right now. Our something big is blessing the children He gives us. At the end of Crazy Love, Francis Chan tells the story of a woman who came to Tanzania for a short term deal, but was so moved by the poverty and devastation here that she had to do “something big” for someone. So she delayed her return home, until she, a young single woman, could adopt one child and do “something big” for that one person.

No matter the calling, these people had one thing in common… obedience. The Lord chose them and their calling. Think about how each of these Bible people came to the Lord. Paul killed Christians and Jesus appeared to him on a road and soon began obedience to Him. Peter a lowly fisherman obeyed Jesus’ simple words “follow me.” Moses was just an old dude chillin’ in the desert and the Lord spoke to Him as a burning bush and told him what to do, Moses, somewhat reluctantly, obeyed Him. David, the youngest son, a mere shepherd. Mary, a teenager. You catch my drift. Each person had a humble background and the Lord chose for them to do “something big” in myriad ways. In the same way, you aren’t too old, too young, too married, too single, too settled into your job, too whatever to have God do something big through you.

We have a boy named Raymond. I love Ray so much. He is an amazing nine year old. Ray is an orphan in one of the poorest nations in the world. You know what though? He believes in God and he believes that God can do anything. You know what Ray wants to do? He wants to become an advisor to the president of Tanzania. He is in fourth grade and that’s what is on his heart. The Tanzanian government is an incredibly corrupt entity, having a godly man advising the president could help change the course of the entire nation. We pray that Ray continues to walk in the ways of the Lord and trust that as He does, the Lord will do something big through him.

For Ray and for anyone, it’ll take obedience. So Ray tries hard in school. He gave me a stack of his recent exams so we can track how he does and help him achieve his education. Ray practices his English and is excelling past even some of the kids that are older than him. Ray will have to continue to walk in obedience until he is able to sit next to the president and advise him in the ways of righteousness.

I’ve started something big with my life. I don’t say that in pride. This is what the Lord has called me to and if anything it is humbling, both in position and process. The Lord told me to “go run an orphanage in Africa.” Two months ago, I took a huge-mongous step towards doing just that. I had to wait two and a half years, before I was released to tangibly start that and it was the hardest period of my life. I had to choose many times if I was going to obey Him or abandon the “big” thing. Not necessarily obey or abandon God Himself, but rather what He told me to do. By God’s grace, I’m writing this blog from Tanzania. Returning to the states back in August was my final reminder that I didn’t have to come back to Africa, that I could settle for that normal life, which still included following the Lord in normal things and maintaining the right theology, but I wanted to follow God in the big things He had specifically for me as well.

The obedience doesn’t start with the big thing, it starts before. God didn’t tell me to go run an orphanage in Africa and the next day there was a ticket to Kilimanjaro International in my mailbox. That’d be like God telling Noah to build the ark right when it started raining. I’m waiting to see if my generation is going to collectively do “something big.” I know this much though, if we can’t be obedient with the things he gives us as we’re flipping burgers and waiting, He’s not going to give anyone an orphanage, a podium or a shelter. And as we flip those burgers in the name of Jesus, we are praying and fasting for the big thing. I haven’t “arrived” by any means and I myself need to be faithful and obedient as Education/Business Director before the Lord will give me my own orphanage to run in His name.

Lastly, a word of warning and a heads up, just in case anybody reads this and wants to drive straight to Mexico and try to get a center for street children started. When I said “praying and fasting for the big thing” I meant just that. If we don’t continue to communicate with the Caller about the calling, it won’t work. If He has you waiting first and you spend that time sitting on your hands as opposed to kneeling in prayer, it may not even happen at all. That’s the warning. The heads up is that its going to be inexplicably hard. I was this close (I just stopped typing and held my index finger and thumb an inch apart) to writing about how incredibly frustrating a couple days this week were. Like new levels of frustration, nearly debilitating. If you are on the narrow path that is marked with suffering and you find it easy, I have one of two hypotheses for you, either you aren’t doing enough for His Kingdom (no matter where you are) or you’re not doing it right. If the Lord has released you to a season of rest, praise Him for that and walk in it for the time period. But those are only seasons and having one assumes that it was sandwiched between two seasons of actively advancing the Kingdom on Earth.

In all things, we give Him praise that He uses us in every big and small way to bless the people in the world and exalt Him wherever He has us.

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The Rundown: This week has been up and down. Wednesday and Thursday morning were very frustrating and I sent a nice long email to my prayer list (let me know if you want on that) talking about some of the things that were going on. Know that all your prayers are appreciated and so needed. Thursday night was the refreshment that I needed. I picked up the short termers from AIM and they went to worship with me at Ryan and Stacy’s. It was a good time and all involved were ministered to. Friday was much better and I had new motivation to get stuff done too. Lydia and Jodie are feeling better so thanks for those prayers. Saturday, the short termers came to TOA and its been overall nice to have some American believers around that are my age, so praise God for that as well. Lastly, the epic Freecell streak has ended at 70 wins, which signifies completion, so I might take a break for now. I know that’s important to you, so I wanted to let you know.