Not Guilty

I was not called to be an overseas missionary.

I just wasn’t.


I've yet to make it through a Missions Conference at Moody without feeling even some varying degree of guilt.

Today was a little different though. I still had that "everyone's standing except me" guilty feeling during George Verwer's closing prayer, but I believe that the future I'm pursuing is what I'm supposed to be doing.

And I may not be called to be a missionary, but guess what...

I’m not called to be a teacher.
I’m not called to be a firefighter.
I’m not called to be an acrobat.
I’m not called to be a zookeeper.
I’m not called to be a farmer.
I’m not called to be a politician.
I’m not called to be a chemist.
I’m not called to be a surgeon.
I’m not called to be a mechanic.
I’m not called to be a lawyer.

There are a lot of things that I simply wasn't called to do. We all have things that we weren't called to do.

However, as followers of Christ, we're called to be His witnesses.

So I will be His witness. Wherever I am. Whatever I’m doing. And I will happily and joyfully love and connect with people through the things I’m passionate about.

I’ve been asking God to teach me to be compassionate and to show me what breaks His heart. And He is. Through what I love: writing.

Have you seen the news? It’s depressing. That’s not to say there aren’t good things going on around the world, but the focus in the news is a negative one.

I’ve written articles on heartbreaking topics this semester... famine in Somalia, unrest in Libya, combat zones in the Middle East. And now drug trafficking and violence in Mexico. These are all things I had heard a little about, but after reading countless articles and interviewing students and faculty who have a personal connection with these worldwide events, it's more real. Reporting devastating news isn't something to take lightly.

Neil Cole, one of the speakers at Missions Conference said, "The reason God is sending us to the wolves is because that's where the lost sheep are." God sends us among the wolves, into a dark place, to bring His light.

I personally think the news is a dark place. So that's where I'm headed. That's not to say that my plans won't change (or get changed for me - that happens often), but for now I'm pressing on and making journalism my mission field.


Verdict? Not guilty.