Lessons from a Fish Picture, part 2

      One of the issues for me since my family and I started on this journey of becoming full time missionaries has been dealing with the huge range of emotions that I have gone through.  Its been quite the roller-coaster ride to say the least. And really, it started long before we actually left the U.S. When we sold our home, we were confronted by many strange emotions at the same time. Fear, satisfaction, doubt, excitement... on and on I could go. Then came the emotions of having to say goodbye to all our family and friends, mixed with the anticipation of new things to come, and then the same kind of excitement that early explorers must have felt when they reached a new, uncharted land. Thats what this all is for us...uncharted territory. Some of these emotions were expected so we were some what prepared for them.

      However, once we arrived here in Ghana and got settled in to our new surroundings, an entirely new set of emotions set in. I'm only speaking for myself, but much of what I feel now is as fluid and changing as water in a flowing stream. Emotions and feelings change constantly. Its hard for me to put into words what its like to go through such a drastic life change so quickly. I mean EVERYTHING is different. People are different. Even though English is spoken, the language is still used differently, and accents still make it difficult to understand sometimes. Things that we are completely used to saying or doing in America can be offensive to people here. Food is different. Being without our own "space" has made family time difficult at best, if not nonexistent. The way the kids here view things has made relationships for our girls difficult at times. I don't mean that the people and culture here are wrong,... just different. 

      For me, there have been days that I questioned whether I should be here-mainly due to doubts and feelings of inadequacy that ultimately are lies from the enemy. But I have not really had a sense of home sickness, like kids get when they are away from home for the first time.  Instead, I find  myself reflecting on things that never quite seemed as special or important to me as they do now. That is why I wrote the last blog, "Lessons from a fish picture". I have developed a much keener sense  of appreciation for the kinds of things I wrote about; relationships, experiences, and memories. Thats  typically not the way I am. I've never really been a sentimental person as far those things go, but  being separated from almost every aspect of the life I was used to has definitely made me think a  little differently! 

       But as I thought more about what I wrote in "Fish Picture", I realized I didn't really make it to the final point, so that's what this is for. Not that I feel like what I said was wrong or inaccurate, but rather just not complete. 

         In Philippians chapter 3, Paul is talking about all his achievements and credentials as a Jew. He says as far as a Jew goes, there was none greater than I. Paul was not talking about his possessions or material things. He was talking about knowledge and power and experience. But when Paul was saved, he gave all that stuff up for Jesus, and he says, "I consider all these things a loss for the sake of Christ".  Now if Paul would have stopped there, we as Christians would say "yes, he should consider those things a loss". We know that power and pride in our knowledge and what we have accomplished are not the kind of things that Jesus wants us to put first. But Paul didn't stop writing there. Read for yourself what he goes on to say:

         "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my     Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may    gain Christ".   -Philippians 3:8                          

         I added the emphasis, but Paul says ALL things. That includes good things, not just the things we would consider negative or sinful.. Good memories, good experiences and even good relationships. Even those good things don't compare with personally knowing Jesus Christ. This makes me think of the words to a song by Third Day, called "Nothing Compares":

"I've heard all the stories, I've seen all the signs

Witnessed all the glory, Tasted all that's fine

But nothing compares, To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

Nothing compares, To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

I see all the people, Wasting all their time

Building up their riches,  For a life that's fine

But nothing compares,  To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

Nothing compares,  To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no

I find myself just living for today, 'Cause I don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring

So no matter if I rise or fall,  I'll never be alone, oh no

Nothing compares,  To the greatness of knowing You Lord, oh no"

      So I wrote "Fish Picture" to give you some insight into my personal thoughts and feelings about our mission here and how it relates to my life back home. Things in my life that I now place a higher value on than I have in the past, because of the opportunity that God has given me here. And this post brings everything into line with biblical truth that says, "Jesus is King above ALL things".  NOTHING compares to knowing Him.

Amen