“Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:61-62

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time swallowing this tiny passage in Luke. As someone who is actively pursuing a call to international service, Christ’s response to this individual is a bit unnerving and probably hits a little closer to home than I would like.

In this journey which has led me toward international missionary service, it has taken me more than a few tries to respond with a simple, “I will follow you, Lord” without adding a “but only if…” to the end of my acceptance speech. In this society and culture, we have become experts at negotiating our terms of acceptance. We negotiate salaries, benefits packages, and it seems this expertise is mistakenly applied in our response to God’s call in our own lives.  Often, what should be a simple “Yes, Lord” becomes a list of terms and conditions.

Saying “yes” to God, wherever it may lead us, is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. Knowing that I will soon say “hasta luego” to those at home, even if it is just for a season, is one of the most challenging pieces of preparing for this next ministry journey. I am thankful that after responding “yes’, my family and I have been given the gift of a season of preparation. This week I give thanks for:

-A day at the hospital with my mom and grandma while the doctors got my grandpa’s breathing under control.

-Early morning swims and conversations with my sister.

-A visit to the hospital to celebrate the birth of Hannah, daughter of friends who serve as missionaries in India.

These past few months since saying “yes” to the call to serve as a missionary have offered me a gentle reminder that the God to whom I said “yes Lord, I will follow” is the same God that David writes about in Psalm 139. “O LORD, you have searched me and known me…you discern my thoughts from far away.” I am reminded that even though saying “yes!” requires that I do so without negotiating terms or conditions, our God who calls is also a God who already knows us deeply.

May you also have the courage to say “yes!”

Joyfully,

Kim