Finding the Beauty of God’s Mission Through Change

I was amazed at the beauty of Mt. Rainier as my team and I made our way into Seattle. This would be my second summer serving in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I thought, “How could anyone get used to this view?”. Growing up in Texas, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to grow up amid mountains and tall trees. But as we know, people often grow familiar and unphased by the beauty surrounding them. The same is true when it comes to the beauty of the gospel. I am a victim of this tendency as I grew up in church and heard of the great love of God weekly. It often fell on dull ears, and the beauty of the gospel did not transform my life until I stepped out of that environment to attend college in a different setting. The Lord is sovereign in the timing of my salvation story, but there’s some truth to the power of changing environments and embracing the beauty of discomfort.

Before I did summer missions in Seattle, I was faithful to share the gospel on my college campus, but I did not yet have a great burden for those who didn’t know Christ. I would pass by the bars littered with students seeking a good time, and I am a little ashamed to admit that judgment would arise in my heart. It was easier to look at their outward sin and judge rather than take steps to get to know them in love. After spending some time in Seattle, getting to know people, and sharing the grace of God in the gospel, God began to grow my compassion for those far from Christ. Remembering my hopelessness before Christ, I empathized with the lost and longed for their salvation. Another major part of this growth resulted from the community around me. For the first time that summer, I was part of an intentional community that stirred one another to know and serve the Lord. I experienced the beauty of the truth found in John 13:35, and it changed the way I saw myself and the purpose of community forever. The Lord continued to soften my heart for the lost and created a passion in me to make disciples cross-culturally that compelled me to share the gospel locally and abroad.

A couple of summers later, the Lord opened up an opportunity for me to serve in Prague for two months. Prague is a beautiful city, but having served in the beautiful Pacific Northwest previously taught me that those beauties do lose their luster at some point. Thankfully, the Lord reminded me that the beauty of the Lord and His image bearers evoke continual awe. While in Prague, I attempted to share the gospel and make relationships with people who didn’t have English as their first language for the first time. They were also shaped by a whole other world. The people I met didn’t grow up going to VBS and were not familiar with the Jesus who died on the cross necklaces they were wearing. As I built relationships with Czechs, I began to realize they weren’t so different from me. There was a desire for relationships with others which also mirrored their need for a relationship with their Creator. The Czechs I met also enjoyed doing similar things as us, like playing games, hiking, and touring the city. Intentionally spending time with my Czech friends deepened my relationship with them and gave me more opportunities to share about Christ. My doubt of how effective I would be in sharing Christ was put to shame when I saw how the Lord used my and my team’s everyday faithfulness. People heard of the love of Christ and experienced Christian fellowship for the first time that summer. I came home from that summer changed by stepping out in obedience. Yet again, God showed me the beauty of His grace and the gospel when I stepped out of my normal routine to discover the lostness around me and in the world.

Beautiful things become dull to us so often. Whether that’s nature, a sweet friendship, or truths about our God, we frequently forget how special they are. However, there are various consequences of forgetting these beauties. For example, forgetting the mission that Christ has given us could result in a life wasted. When we let the mundane tasks of life control or overwhelm us, pursuing the Lord, and thus pursuing others for Him, can easily fall by the wayside. This has happened to me, and at times, I didn’t even realize it. In these cases of apathy, it wasn’t until I got out of my normal routine and pursued people with the gospel that I remembered the joy and urgency of making disciples. I was blessed to have several opportunities to spend summers in various places and focus on the urgency of reaching the lost with the gospel. Summer missions allowed me to step out of my comfort zone in another context to see the Lord move. Thankfully, now I can experience the beauty of being on mission in my daily life and routine, because of these past experiences.