"Lord, Send Me Anywhere"

Mine was a long story of a teenage girl's surrender after hearing a challenge to pray Isaiah's prayer, Here am I; send me (Isaiah 6:6). Oh, there were places I didn't want to go—for selfish reasons, of course. Finally, after weeks of battling with God, I gave in and asked God to send me anywhere—or not—as He willed.

He sent.

Our first term on the mission field was difficult. Learning the language, adapting to a foreign culture, living in a city that was a hotbed of revolt, learning to drive around flaming barricades in the streets…. It was a huge adventure, but it wasn't easy. We knew God had placed us here, and we were content. Along with that contentment came the realization that this is a very hard field. Most people had shut God out of their lives. They were not interested in spiritual things. But, we believe that everyone has a right to hear or read the gospel, and we persevered.

By the end of our second term, the new church was born. It was so exciting. For our inaugural service, over eighty people came to encourage us, including a few believers for the new church plant. The opening was held on a Saturday night, and on Sunday morning, we had our first service. I don't remember the attendance, but the great majority was our family of four.

Since then—over the last twenty-four years—we've seen ups and downs in the church. For a time, people came our way from another church's split. (That's not the way we wanted to grow, by the way.) When all was resolved, they went back—which decimated our congregation and left us with almost all old people. My husband and I privately called ours "the geriatric church." After that, people came and went. A few of the older people have passed away. Almost all of our experiences were negative, but some people got saved. Transformed. Sadly, some of them have since drifted away. We've tried to bring them back, but God knows. 

Pioneer fields are, after all, pioneer fields. Those who accept the Lord are almost always the only believers in their families. They face social pressures and mocking. Only those who don't care what others think persevere.

Many years ago, another missionary woman sat across from me at her kitchen table in Madrid. She said, "You hear all the time about the millions of people who are waiting for someone to tell them about Jesus. They don't tell you about the millions who couldn't care less." For the most part, that's the field she and I came to.

Let's turn this around a little bit. It's true that the great majority of people don't even want to hear about God. Most have absolutely zero spiritual interest. Many have never heard of Jesus—except in cursing or if their families are religious.

But …

• We actually see some people sitting outside, reading our gospel tracts that they received in their mailboxes. How many more read them inside their homes, where we don't see?
• Some people have been saved. Isn't one eternal soul worth a lifetime of effort?
• Lost people regularly attend our church and hear the gospel. Yes, we want them to be saved, but our job isn't to save them; it's to preach the Good News over and over again, pray for them, and let the Holy Spirit work in conviction.
• Business people where we do our banking and buying have had direct witness from my husband and me. They would probably never have heard a word about Christ otherwise. (Now, thankfully, over the last two years, two gospel-preaching churches have been planted in that town.)
• Our lack of church people has enabled me to have more time to pursue additional avenues for witness and ministry.

Is this a hard place? Yes. Are there other hard places in the world? Yes, of course. "Hard" manifests itself in different ways. It could be: idolatry, false religion, atheism, secularism, materialism, addictions, or some other influence.

God calls, enables, and gives fruit. We don't know how much fruit—and will probably never know until we get to heaven—but the Lord promises some fruit. Remember the sower? And he (Jesus) spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 13: 3-9).

May we hear God's Word and be encouraged today. Keep on sowing.

Therefore, my beloved brethren,

be ye stedfast, unmoveable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know that your labour

is not in vain in the Lord.

(1 Corinthians 15:58)

by Lou Ann Keiser, in Basque Spain since 1984

A Checkbook and A Car Trunk Life

It is a beautiful moment...

Picture perfect. Facebook post worthy!

Tears of joy are shed. Everyone is smiling and crying and laughing. Praises go up to the Father. And in our minds the next part of the story should say,

"And they lived happily ever after..."

But the story doesn't go like that.

It's the day when a missionary first submits to giving their life to the Lord. Often kneeling beside a bed or at the altar, the missionary hands the checkbook of their heart and life to the Lord and prays through tears, "Lord, use it however you want. It's ALL yours."

And God takes hold their life's checkbook, full of blank checks, and takes them at their word... It's His.

For me, I have to admit that was the easy part... Handing the whole checkbook to Him.

But when He started filling out the individual checks, I had to swallow a little hard. Sometimes I cringed (and sometimes I still do.) He slowly fills in the amount on each check and I peek over His shoulder as He writes and signs His name. And with each written check, I realize a little more what a fully surrendered life is going to cost me.

There have been a few times that the words slipped from my lips,

"Wait, I didn't sign up for this!"

Not once did He scold me when the thought entered my heart.

Not once did He look at me with anger or disapproval.

Not once did He grasp my life's checkbook and yell, "It's mine! ALL mine!!! You said I could have it!"

Instead, His eyes shined with compassion and He called gently for me to trust Him using verses like:

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." 

And...

1 Peter 1:7 "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"

And once again I would yield my life's checkbook into His loving hands.

I remember when we were on deputation. We were at a church sharing our burden with the people. After the service, a sweet and very generous woman approached me. "Come out to my car. I have something for you."

We went to her car and she opened her trunk. It was loaded with small, beautiful, and shiny boxes. Jewelry boxes. She made handmade jewelry. And not just any handmade jewelry. The items were obviously skillfully made using supplies from specialty jewelry craft shops. Her trunk wasn't Dollar Tree trinkets. It was real treasures.

As she swung the trunk of her car open, she graciously announced, "Take anything you want." I was speechless! I was overwhelmed by her generosity.

So I pondered over each piece and then did the polite thing. I modestly picked a single item that I really liked, but that I knew wouldn't come across as me being greedy. She looked at me pleadingly.

"No, I mean take ANYTHING you want and as many as you want." Oh I liked them all! Every bracelet, every matching pair of earrings and necklaces. They were gorgeous! So what did I do? I modestly picked out another item that showed my gratitude but didn't give way to a selfish testimony. But she was persistent. Again and again she begged me to keep selecting. I finally walked away with four necklaces and several earrings to match. If I would have told her I liked them all, I am convinced she would have packed up the whole trunk to send with me. Clearly some people have the spiritual gift of giving.

Now imagine me opening the trunk of my heart and life and telling the Lord, "Take ANYTHING you want!" That's pretty easy to say... until He starts actually selecting. I think often I expect Him to select modestly just like I did with that precious woman's jewelry. We keep expecting Him to look up and say, "Are you sure?" and then to ask permission again with each item He selects

 "May I take this one, too? Oh, that one is too precious? Well, then I won't take that one."

But His selection process is much different than mine was. As He reaches in the trunk of my life, He isn't selecting things based on His likes... but based on His love for me and His wisdom.

I swing my trunk wide open and tell Him anything He wants... it's His! But then as he starts taking, it begins hurting. It begins costing me. I begin seeing the real price.

And I am not alone. Missionary women all over the world have opened the trunks of their lives and given them to the Lord. But as He started taking things out... they had to recount the cost.

You see, when we all signed up for "whatever You want, Lord," we didn't realize exactly what He was going to do.

We didn't sign up for earthquakes and petrol shortages and riding bicycles on dangerous roads.

We didn't sign up for sicknesses like malaria, Crohn's, diabetes, MS, auto immune disorders, and some diseases that we have to look up to even see how to spell them because we surely can't even pronounce them properly.

We didn't sign up for having our first baby on the field... alone with no family and friends to share the struggles as well as the excitement.

We didn't sign up for missing the birth of grandbabies and weddings and funerals and graduations.

We didn't sign up for raising our children on the field and then having to drop them off for college thousands of miles away while we return to the field.

We didn't sign up for not being able to be there when our children, our parents, our sisters and brothers needed us... through struggles and sicknesses and emergencies and even deaths.

We certainly didn't sign up for our own children getting sick on the field... epilepsy, stroke, autism, catching on fire from a woodstove.

We didn't sign up to have our family robbed, beaten, raped.

We didn't sign up for bombs and protests.

We didn't sign up for endless paperwork and red tape and permits that take weeks, months, years.

We didn't sign up for no electricity, no water, ant infestations that look like a horror film, snakes and critters of all sizes as well as all levels of lethal force.

Crowded bus rides? Um... claustrophobia!

We didn't sign up for the pain and agony of language school, nor the weight of homeschooling on the field with little resources. We certainly didn't sign up to have to learn piano in our 40's.

We didn't sign up for gossip and slander, nor for dealing with people whose sins are so shocking we blush just thinking about it.

We didn't sign up for watching our husbands work such long, tiring hours day and night... no date time... no childcare... and then to watch him bear the weight of discouragement.

We didn't sign up for always feeling unattractive because the best hairdresser in the area can't even mow grass, much less cut hair straight... or because the humidity makes fixing hair a waste of time... or because the culture where we live insists on letting us know we are fat.

We didn't sign up for the loneliness... oh, the loneliness!!!

We didn't sign up for sudden deportation and losing almost everything in an instant.

We didn't sign up for....

But before you are completely overwhelmed by all of this, I have to interrupt and let you know... though we didn't realize what we were signing up for... we are so glad... so thankful we DID sign up ... even for the harsh trials. Our voices are strong to declare that this story has a happy theme.

You see, when I was taking jewelry from the woman's trunk, she left with less than she came with. But when God selects things from the trunk of our life, He is making room for treasures... real treasures. Unimaginable treasures! And He places those things in our trunk.

Peace. Joy. Contentment. Thankfulness. Intimacy with Him so deep that it cannot be explained. Fruit for our labor. Hope. Endurance. Temperance. Growing in knowledge of who our Father is... our Provider, our Sustainer, our Healer, our Friend, our Refuge. Our SAVIOUR!

These treasures will not fit in our trunks without Him removing other treasures.

So, we swing open the trunks of our hearts and lives. We say, "Lord, it's yours."

And when He selects a treasure that hurts... a treasure that makes us cringe... a treasure that urges us to close the trunk, He faithfully reminds us of His goodness, His love, and His wisdom. So, we pull the trunk back open and trust Him. And He has never failed us yet!

Psalm 34:4  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 

Psalm 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. 

Psalm 126:5-6  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. 

Isaiah 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 

2 Corinthians 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

We may not have signed up for it,

but we are thankful we surrendered that, too.

**********************************

Thank you to those BMWs who shared their hardship testimonies as well as their praise to the Lord for using their trials for their good and His glory. You have shown the world that God is faithful and can be trusted with every treasure in our trunks.

Willing

Photo by: Sura Nualpradid

Surrender. It means completely giving up. It means to stop resisting. It is submission, yielding, conceding, giving way, deferring. It’s relinquishing, forfeiting, and sacrificing. It means the laying down of arms. Submission has a finality to it.

I remember when I gave in to God. It all started with a challenge. (I could never resist a dare.) I heard a simple missions message that ended with something like this: “Have you ever asked God to send you? Will you pray Isaiah’s prayer?” The speaker was referring to Isaiah 6:8, Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. The speaker suggested that we volunteer.

I knew if I prayed that prayer God might just send me. And, I was afraid of where He might send me. I thought God sent people places they would hate, places that would be hard and ugly and would stretch them past their endurance. I thought those who surrendered became martyrs.

So, like the “good” Christian girl I was, I resisted the challenge. I would not pray that prayer. Why offer . . . that? Why surrender all?

You see, I understood. I knew that, when one prays to be sent, God will send. The place might be home or it could be foreign, but God will send. I also understood that God does the choosing. So, that meant that I had to be willing to go anywhere . . . anywhere in the whole world.

And I wasn’t.

There were several places I wasn’t willing to go—for ridiculous reasons. (Some of you actually live on those fields, so don’t ask.) Suffice it to say that Lou Ann, at seventeen years of age, thought she knew better than God. Such arrogance!

I literally fought with God for around two and a half weeks. It was awful. I knew I had to surrender, but I didn’t trust. I didn’t trust God to order my life. I didn’t think I’d like the outcome. I was scared to pray that prayer.

Today, I look back on that time as one of the dumbest times of my life. Yes, dumb, because I didn’t understand the character of God. I didn’t really know that He has the best plan for each individual’s life. I didn’t see how He fits each person for the task, and that surrender is a daily thing. I had no idea where praying that prayer would take me.

I had no idea how wonderful the ride would be.

After my miserable back and forth with God, I finally prayed, “Here am I; send me.”

I was willing.

_________________________________

In the Bible, we read of many people who offered themselves to do God’s wishes. Let’s look at just a few of them:

• Abraham—Almost to sacrifice his son of promise, Isaac, And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I (Genesis 22:11). Abraham didn’t even hold back his only possibility of fulfilling the promise of descendants that number like the stars. He was willing to kill his own son, if God permitted. But God didn’t, as we know, and Isaac is the type of the Lord Jesus Christ, the willing Lamb of God. Abraham is the type of God the loving Father.
• Moses—When God called him out of the burning bush, his response was, Here am I (Exodus 3:4). He offered himself to God in service. This was the beginning of the most challenging forty years of his life. He got to see the miracles of the parted Sea and the dry land crossing. He got to experience God talking to him face to face. He even got to hide in the rock and watch God pass by! He touched the tablets of the Ten Commandments, written by God’s finger. He led at least a million people forty years, and he ate manna.
• Samuel—When God called, he answered three times with the answer, Here am I. He thought Eli had called him, but it was the Lord. What a submissive attitude!
• Mary, the mother of Jesus—When Gabriel told her she would be the mother of the Messiah and would have a baby by the Holy Spirit, her immediate response was, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38a).
• Jesus—The ultimate submission to God was when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42).

________________________________

When we pray that prayer, Here am I; send me, we are actually putting another two verses into action. They are Proverbs 3:5-6,

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

My big problem was trusting God. It was dumb. It was ignorant. I didn’t understand that God had custom-designed a life plan for me.

Let me share what God did:

• I studied French literally all my life, from early grade school and through college. Where did God put me? Right next to France, learning a language with similar grammar. We have gotten to see most of France on one occasion or another. My dream was to go to Paris once in my life. I’ve been three times.
• I was an art major. Where did God put me? In Europe, smack dab in the middle of amazing art. Everywhere we visit, there is priceless art in quantities I never dreamed of! The Gugghenheim Museum is just over an hour away. The architecture, the castles, the cathedrals . . . . We’ve happened upon monasteries and out-of-the-way places where works are just sitting around, gathering dust. Even in our tiny town, its church is filled with masterpieces from the 1700s.
• I’m a curious person, open, and sometimes louder than I need to be. If you’ve ever been to Spain, you will understand that my personality fits perfectly here.
• I love nature! The Basque region is gorgeous—even when it rains.

The things I feared so much aren’t even factors.

God enjoys surpassing our dreams. He cares about us personally. He wants us to follow Him and to serve Him. And, while we’re serving Him—even in a difficult mission field—he gives us gracious satisfactions. He daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation (Psalm 68:19).

I praise His Name for being patient with me in my struggles, for understanding that I am dust, and for graciously leading my husband and me to Spain. I am thankful for His benefits, the blessings along the way, and most of all, for the privilege of serving Him.

Surrender means no regrets.

(If you have a teen or preteen son or daughter, I would be honored for you to share my story with him/her.)