It's that time of year around here.  Life seems to be stagnant.  We say we have the blahs or are in the doldrums.  We look forward to spring, when things will be different, but in the meantime,  it is more of the same:  cold, barren, dirty, and nothing seems to change.  We long for adventure, for variety, for diversity - anything to get us out of the stale pit we find ourselves in.  We remember other seasons longingly - the thrill of summer with it's sunny skies and BBQ, the lush green of springtime.  (Funny how we forget the complaints about pollen and excessive heat from this perspective!)

In Numbers chapter 11, God's people were in a similar season.   “They remembered the good things of Egypt and craved them; the fish, the cucumbers, the melons....verse 6  But now our appetites are gone.  All we ever see is this manna!"    Tired of the same old thing every day, they longed for something different, some variety. 

The funny thing is, we humans don't typically choose to have much diversity in our lives.  We go to the same restaurants and order the same things.  We sit in the same pew at church or the same chair in class.  We wear the same clothes over and over - even when we have a closet full of other things.  We find comfort and security in the sameness of things, I suppose.  In routine.  In not dealing with the unexpected.

In fact, we tend to do the same thing when it comes to our relationships, our interactions with other people.  For the most part, our friends are like us.  They look like us, act like us, think like us.   We hang with those who make us feel that security that comes from sameness.  We are comfortable with those whose lives mirror ours as much as possible.

That's not all bad.  The manna was a provision from God, a good thing!  The same every day, but a good thing nonetheless.  Winter is a good thing, too.  A season that has a lot going on behind the scenes in nature that is preparing for the next season of growth.   Our relationships with those who are like us are good as well, we can encourage each other and help each other as we walk through this life together.   

Too much interaction with only those mirror images is not a good thing, however.   As Beth Moore recently tweeted, "Ick.  What a lame way to live."  She's right!  God has created mankind in such enormous variety.   I believe He longs for us to grow and learn and be stretched by one another and be blessed by the diversity of His creation.  Honestly, it can be scary sometimes.  For some of us, the opportunities to come in contact with those of a different race, religion, socio-economic status, culture, educational choice, or those who sin differently than we do are pretty rare.   Some of us have had interactions with those who have points of view that aren't just different from ours but are in opposition to God's as we find in His Word.  That can be really intimidating.  In other cases, we just don't have a perspective to understand the cares and concerns of those so different from our own.

I believe that we are called to get over those fears and get to know folks that aren't like us.  Expand our circles of interaction.  Speaking of circles, the we can have so many opportunities for gospel centered "Three Circles" conversations, sharing Jesus, when we step out of our comfort zones and interact with those that are not so familiar to us.  We are missing out on a whole incredible world of humanity when we close ourselves off, and we are missing our calling to share the gospel and make disciples as well.  We were made for more than this! 

I am challenging myself, and you, to be intentional about having conversations with those who are different from us.    I am making a goal to have at least one interaction a week for the rest of 2018 with someone who is not "like me".  Yes, I will have to seek out the opportunities.  Yes, I'm kind of scared.  But what better way to escape the doldrums than to experience more of God's pinnacle of creation:  people?!?  So, I'm seeking them out, and I'm going to be prepared to listen to them first.  Really listen to their stories, to their experiences, to their hearts.   And I'm going to be ready to share Jesus.

A reminder as tweeted by Beth:

1. We don't have to agree with people to LIKE them.
2. We don't have to agree with people to LEARN from them.
3. We don't have to agree on all things to agree on SOME things.

I'd like to invite you to add some variety to your own life this year.  Let's not be like the little child who never wants to eat anything but chicken nuggets.  Let's be like Phillip in Acts 8, willing to initiate a conversation with the Ethiopian.   Let's sit in a different chair, eat at a different restaurant, and celebrate the potpourri of humanity as we live this adventure!

Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”                                                                                                                                              

Mission work.  Is it what you think it will be?  What are you looking to find?  What are you planning to do?  Well, first thing is to remember, nothing is set in stone and can be changed.  You must be flexible.  Just be willing to accept change, it may not be what you planned, but what God has planned. 

Let us take a look at three words and their definitions according to Webster. 

Mission: 1. the act or an instance of sending.  2.  Assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise. 3.  a body of persons sent to perform a service. 

Work: 1. to perform work or fulfill duties regularly for wages or salary. 2. to function or operate according to plan or design. 

Sacrifice: 3a. destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else. b. something given up or lost. 

Now, let us put it all together.  How do mission, work, and sacrifice work together for a mission trip? Take a look at the January mission trip to Panama recently.  Five of us went to Chitre, Panama to work with the church there for Vacation Bible School (VBS).  Our itinerary for Sunday was church service, then helping where needed to get ready for the week (this year they were done so nothing needed), and little time on the beach.  Monday through Wednesday we met at 8:00AM for breakfast, and then departed for the 9:00AM–12:30PM morning VBS session for children ages 3 to 10. Around 12:30PM we would have lunch, then return to church for afternoon VBS for the 11-17 year olds.  Thursday was the exception because after lunch we began the five hour return to Panama City.  Doesn’t sound bad; kinda’ like a regular eight hour work day.   

And just like our jobs, we have assignments to do on a mission trip.  Working in VBS in Chitre is just like the VBS work in Wentzville.  For the morning session the children learn a value of the day, for example obey your parents, then have a Bible story, and memory verse.  And they all look forward to snack time and play time.  This year older children had some guest teachers brought in.  One guest was a potter and worked with pottery while telling the story of the potter and clay.  Sounds easy, right?  Right!  By the end of the day you will be tired but it is a good tired.  

So why did I give the definition of mission, work, and sacrifice?  If you are thinking of going on a mission trip, these three words will help guide you.  There is training here at church for you to complete before going on a mission trip.  It also guides, prepares, and tells you what to do and what not to do.  You learn the basic information of the country.   

You must be ready for change at any time.  The church there does not have a lot of resources, but they work with what they have available.  We go in wondering what we can do to help out.   Will we plant a seed?  Will we lead someone to the Lord?  What if no decision is made?  Did we follow the great commission or did we simply fail?  Were we a blessing or a burden?  How did we adjust to changes in our itinerary?   

Sacrifice.  Be prepared to make a sacrifice.  No, not an animal sacrifice, but today’s sacrifice…time.  It is difficult to leave the comfort of your home, leaving family, not communicating with friends and family for a week.  You may even have to postpone buying a few things so you can afford the cost of the trip.  Don’t compare yourself to your neighbors, friends, or even other church members. But count your blessings.  They are more than you realized. We are so blessed, but we take it for granted. Running water. Hot, running water. Wash cloths.  Bibles in the church pews.  Our cars.  I can go on and on. Yes, we give up a few things to go on a mission trip.  But we gain so much more, when we look back at the end of the trip and think about the smiles, and hugs that were shared.  The biggest sacrifice is leaving those smiles and friends you made and not knowing if you will see them again here on earth, or if that seed you planted will grow and Heaven will be our family reunion. You can plant a seed anywhere you go; it could be in your backyard or across the globe.  Bloom where God plants you.  That small sacrifice you made just may be the biggest thing you will ever accomplish. 

Mission work is the great commission, and Matthew 28:19-20 talks about that.