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I hate it when my dad goes to Taiwan. I always get paranoid of whether or not he'll be okay on the drive to the airport, the flight, the trip, the flight back, etc. My mom is going to North Carolina for a business conference next week. This will be her first time traveling outside of the state by herself. Why do I worry so much? Of course it is because I love them, but it is also because I am unsure of the certainty of their salvation. That if something WERE to happen to them, I don't know where they would spend eternity. I pray for my family every night, which of course is very important, but I am hesitant to spiritually encourage and rebuke them. Please pray for my parents. Pray for my brother as well.
Today I read 2 Corinthians 12 and it reminded me of the very encouraging Taiwan final update email that Sally wrote. I hope she doesn't mind that I post some of it... "I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?" -Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12:15) The team knows this has been my prayer request during the last week in Taiwan and for coming back home. *To spend and be expended for souls*... One of the biggest rebukes to me this trip was this: not glorifying God through all of my relationships. As you all know our seven weeks in Taiwan was mostly focused on "relational ministry"- sharing the gospel and the love of Christ through building of relationships, which I was super excited about. The Lord was truly faithful to bring people I still call friends to me, people I met on the campus of National Taiwan University and got to continually meet up with and hang out with. The relationships I still maintain with [those in Taiwan] are a stark contrast to my relationships with my non-Christian friends. Sure, they know I'm Christian and won't do certain things with them, that I'm always at church... some of them I might have even shared the gospel with several times. But I certainly do not pursue them for the sake of the gospel as I had been doing in Taiwan. This was truly a rebuke- my lovelessness toward those I say I care about... Am I spending and being expended for their souls? I pray that I would! I did NOT know my cry to spend and be expended for souls would be fulfilled in this way! Details forgone, His ways are truly higher than mine and obedience is a painful, emotional (I go as far as to say heart-wrenching), yet exceeding joyful process. I was telling a sister that despite this "bad news".. oh the light shines brighter still! That is my ultimate prayer request. That I also would have such a DESIRE to be expended for souls. To not see it as a "spiritual deed," but to truly love others with Christ's love. That this love would bring me to take every opportunity to be a witness and to evangelize. And to not worry, but to have hope--hope and confidence in our Heavenly Father's plan. |
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