G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

Looking at a missionary’s life from newsletters and the stories they share seems to glamorize the career missionary experience. We share about the positives and the advances we have made for the Kingdom of God, so people will be encouraged, and motivated to pray and give. I have a few stories myself of the victories I’ve experienced as people come to Christ. Still, as I began itineration, I struggled with telling only the ‘glamorous’ stories. Isn’t this deceiving? Don’t people need to know I live a normal life there? I buy groceries, I do laundry, I have to buy gas for my motorbike, I pay bills for electricity and water, I get wet when it rains and sweaty when… well, most all the time. And that’s not glamorous.

Today, during one of those normal everyday moments, I felt like God clarified this idea for me. Of course it’s not all glamorous. There are struggles – I’ve experienced a few, and I’m sure to experience many more. But, God has chosen me to go to Thailand to reach people for Christ. THIS is beyond glamorous. THIS is worth living for. THIS is what deserves promoting. I am serving God, I am going where He wants me to go, and that makes life exciting, worth living! Stories may be glamorous, but LIFE lived for God goes further than just glamorous to purposeful, exciting, fulfilling.

It doesn’t matter if you are a missionary or a pastor or a dental assistant or a mailperson or a receptionist or a student or a grandmother — if you are doing what God has called you to do, if you are being who God has called you to be, your life and story should go beyond glamorous.

Just for kicks, here’s an unglamorous moment of my normal life in Thailand.This past January, my bathroom was infested with mosquitoes. As a matter of fact, “infested” might be an understatement.

Yes, this is a toilet. On my blog. Please don’t be offended… this is just another part of normal life.