Real Sacrifice

On a regular basis I meet people who have heard about our move to Guatemala and the ministry we do here. Usually their response it something along the lines of “Wow! We really respect what you are doing and the sacrifices you are making!” And my response is always the same…a shake of my head and the words, “No, we haven’t sacrificed anything. In fact, we have gained so much.”

And that is true. Sure, we occasionally encounter inconveniences or challenges as a result of living where we do, but they are minor compared to the joy and passion or our lives here. I have spent a some nights in motels with no air conditioning and no hot water. I have worked some very long days in very hot and sticky weather. I have driven and worked through heavy rain and mud slides. But those things are just part of the adventure of life and, for the most part, I love it all.

When push comes to shove, I realize that I have never really made a true sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. I have simply discarded things that I once thought was valuable but finally realized was garbage. And the things that my family and I have gained are so much more wonderful. And I am not just saying that, I really mean every word. I don’t know what it means to sacrifice anything of real value for Jesus Christ.

But that is about to change. Two years ago my daughters, Teisha and Carissa, said yes to God’s call to missions in Uganda. Since that day I have known that the day was coming when I would have to say goodbye at an airport so they can follow that call. But that day has always been “some day…” You know, way out there in the distance…when they are older…and hopefully I am dead. But somehow “some day” has a way of becoming today.

For the last few months they have both been planning a trip to Uganda to work with several ministries and plan for the future. This is scheduled to be a six week trip extending from mid-September until the end of October. Okay, I can deal with that. Six weeks and then they will come home again and move to Uganda permanently…some day. Way out in the future. Right, God?

And then, very suddenly, Carissa has been presented with an opportunity to serve as a nannie/teacher for a missionary family in Uganda. As a result, her six-week trip may transform into one year. And very quickly “some day” has transformed into “mid-September.” And, in the blink of an eye, I suddenly realize that I have never known real sacrifice until now. Our move to Guatemala is nothing compared to surrendering my daughters to the call of Jesus, no matter where that leads them.

I don’t know what will happen. There are several things that could close the door on her extended stay. It could be that she will return home to us at the end of October and her dad will be very happy to have her back. But if so it will simply be a delay of the inevitable. We have tried to instill in our children a passion to follow Jesus wherever He leads, and it seems that we have succeeded. So, whether it is in September, next year or two years from now, we will say goodbye to both Teisha and Carissa with both great pain and great joy as they head for Uganda. And on that day I will know what real sacrifice for the gospel really is.

Jesus said this in Luke 18:29-30:

“’I tell you the truth,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come,eternal life.’”

If I really believe God’s Word the way I claim to, then I will resist the urge to cling to my children when God leads them elsewhere. Instead, I will urge them to let go of Wanda and me and run with reckless abandon toward the One who died for them and offers them so much more than I could ever give. I may do it through tears, but I will do it if my faith is anything more than cheap lip-service.

So, after 30 years of following Jesus, I am learning what real sacrifice is. And with His help I wrap each of my children in a huge daddy bear-hug and send them on God’s adventure, whatever that may be. Just don’t be surprised if you see tears in my eyes.

Blessings from a motel room in La Gomera, Guatemala!

Daryl