Why Two Years?

This entry goes back to June. It is from a journal entry I wrote when I first started talking with Global Partners about missions work. I feel as though it perfectly answers the question: "why two years?"
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As if I haven't learned my lesson a million times over, I immediately start to plan out my life again. This is perfect. I will be a missionary. Leave in January 2011, serve until Nov. 2011, come home and join the CG in Dec. 2012. Is that what you want God? I ask after I tell Him how my life is going to work. 

 

I've got my perfect little plan in my head and share it with Tanya from Global Partners when I talk to her about my desire to do missions work. Very kindly she listened as I'm sure I sound like an idiot mapping my life out for her. She is very supportive, and really encourages me to serve overseas however long it is that I feel God is calling me to serve. Only for my knowledge though, she proceeds to tell me about their two year program- just so I can fully understand why they recommend serving for two years. She talks about building relationships, and learning the language and when people serving for a year come home they feel like their work is just beginning as they are leaving. Because of that people serving for at least two years feel a deeper sense of fulfillment. I let that brew in the back of my head and tell her I will prayerfully consider that as an option, and I did.  

 

After sharing the information with my mom and replaying our conversation a few times in my head I remembered something else she said about the two year program that didn't stick out at first. She mentioned that it is more of a sacrifice to give up two years of your life. Usually people can look into the future and say 'next year I will be doing this' but they never look out and say 'yeah, in two years...' It gives you the opportunity to give up your life for Jesus and completely put your trust in Him. 

God answered my prayer about the two year stint almost immediately. Two bible verses popped into my head. (I was thinking it was one, but I was getting them tangled together) The first was Matthew 10:39, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it." and Mark 10:21, "Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. 'There is still one thing you haven’t done,' he told him. 'Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'” My plan was all wrong. With my plan to come home after serving for a year and jump into the CG I was not putting my trust completely in Him, I was clinging to my life. I was looking out for my best interests to find a situation that would better my life. But how can I better my life? I need to get over all of the material possessions and monetary wealth that the CG can provide and rely completely on God to provide for my needs. If I let go of the Coast Guard and the ideas that come along with it, I can let God work in my life and completely 100% trust in Him. Holy Cow. What a scary, yet liberating thought: not just saying I've given my life to God and that I trust him, but actually doing it. Wow!