Point of Impact

This morning started off like a typical Saturday, sleeping in, reading and generally taking our time, but that all changed when a series of emergency vehicles came to a screeching halt at the park behind our house. When the police arrived, we realized that something serious was going on.

As we ponder the thought of going to Rwanda, it was recommended that I read as much as possible to get a better understanding of the genocide and political climate of the country both 19 years ago and now. I am in the middle of reading about one of the deadliest civil wars of my lifetime. What stands out as most tragic is that those who felt completely safe and secure one day were killed the next.

It's a tragedy when life loses it's sanctity and violence on the other side of the world doesn't impact us nearly as much as it should. How often do we find ourselves caught up in the day to day "trappings" of today's society and forget the need around us?

I was able to tour a beautiful new home my husband is working on. The best way to describe it is "grand" and "spacious" with every convenience possible right at the young owner's fingertips. I am pretty sure the walk-in-closet rivals my kitchen in size! As I walked through the house, I couldn't help but think about the scripture that speaks about storing up your treasures in heaven. . . Life here is so temporary, do we really want to put our everything into living for today?

Back to the park this morning . . .the police tape is gone, the body is gone, but the sorrow of what happened remains. A life forever gone, a family forever impacted. We don't know the circumstances of this death, but we do know that for this person, their time is done. You can't help but wonder about those moments leading up to the end. Did they know yesterday that they would die? Would they have changed anything in their life? Could anything have been done to change this course? Only God knows these answers.

For me, I can't help but wonder if this was a neighbour, a familiar face, someone who needed to know about Christ. Was there a point where our family could have made a difference in this person's life? Again, I will never know, but I can't help but wonder . . .

So why have these seemingly random events together made such an impact on me? Well, as we've considered going overseas, I have to say that the dangers of bringing our family into unfamiliar territory present a very real concern. Missionaries are not exempt from violence, murder and torture. Years ago, when faced with my trip to India, God clearly asked me if I was willing to die--and I almost did die from a ruptured appendix. Now, I feel like I am being asked if I would be truly willing to risk my family. What if we all don't return? What if my children are hurt or killed? Would I be truly willing to take that risk?

Just today I was reading in the bible this verse: “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. (Luke 12:4 NLT). It's so easy to see death as the ultimate end to everything, but that is not the case for believers. At the same time, it's easy to see life here as our everything, so the focus can easily be to live life to its fullest.

But what if there's more? What if we have the power to make an eternal difference? How can we make an impact beyond our own little world? What if our family was prepared for such a time as this, to surrender our comfortable living to make an impact in Rwanda, Kenya, or wherever God places us?

I don't want to settle for comfortable if God is calling us to make a point of impact in the lives of others. If that means a new country, a new culture and new dangers, so be it. As a family,we want to fully embrace all that God has for us. It's time to step out . . .