My last post was in August. That is horrible. I'm not very good about keeping this ol' blog here updated. Sorry about that. I have been living in Amsterdam for 5 months now. That is crazy to me! If you had told me a year ago that I would be living in Amsterdam, I would have thought no way. But now that I'm here, I love it.
The other day I was sitting and thinking about just how good God really is to me. He's placed me in a developed nation with dependable electricity, clean food & water, hot showers, washers & dryers, wifi...and it's fantastic. Over the last couple years, I have been learning the lesson that just because you're doing missions doesn't mean you have to suffer miserably in every day life.
I don't know where it came from exactly, but I used to be of the mindset that if you weren't roughing it, out in a village somewhere, constantly sick & suffering, that you weren't really doing missions...as if your suffering qualified it as genuine missions work that God would accept. And you see, that's the key phrase, "that God would accept."
I had this view that you had to really work for God's approval, that you had to prove yourself as valuable, lovable, worthy of salvation. I used to hear about outreach teams that went to Europe or New York and I would think how they weren't really doing missions, and I would be filled with pride as I suffered in my third world nation taking bucket showers, not able to drink the water, and had unreliable electricity.
It was prideful, but also had a really skewed view of who God was. To think that God would only be happy if I was suffering, or that He doesn't want or give good things to His children is awful. That's not who God is. I also used to think that God would of course provide for me, but that it would only be what was needed...not what was wanted. It would just be basic provision, no extra blessings.
Well that is a load of malarkey! That is not who God is. I have been learning that God is so incredibly loving, and generous. He does provide for our needs, but he also loves to bless us with things that we like or that are just special. Do I NEED a washer & dryer? No, but they are sure a nice blessing to have in life.
God is a loving Father who not only provides, but loves to bless his children with good things. Matthew 7:11 says, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Isn't that fantastic news?! If we as sinful humans know how to give good gifts, our perfect heavenly Father will do so even more!
It's such a relief to serve a God like that...one who loves to provide for and bless his children. And one who isn't swayed by what I do or don't do, by my suffering or not suffering.
He knows me and my desires, and also what I can handle. While some people can handle living in developing nations long term, I don't know that I'm one of them. Perhaps if He calls me to one day, and with His grace, it would be possible, but for now, I am sure grateful He has called me to be in The Netherlands. It's hard enough adjusting to a new culture and language, I'm glad I don't have to worry about clean food & water, or if the electricity will work, or going outside to use a squatty potty.
Suffering does not qualify me for God's approval, praise the Lord!
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