Spiritual Olympics

We made last minute plans with our new Ethiopian friends to attend our church's annual missionary conference tonight. Sitting there with my eyes filled with tears, hinging on every word, and saying, "Amen" over and over in agreement, I was captivated by the vulnerability of three Olympic missionaries.

As a multicultural city girl married to a proud American country boy, my husband joins my enthusiasm for the Olympics. Despite summer or winter games, our family sets aside the night of the Opening Ceremonies to a make meal from the hosting country and watch the Parade of Nations. My heart beats really fast as the broadcaster gets closer to the end of the alphabet and I see the American flag waving and the "United States of America" is announced in French and English. I tear up every time. I swell with pride and think, What would it feel like to carry THAT banner?!

Just recently, I wanted to run and phone our friends, "I saw your country on TV!" during the recent Parade of Nations, as I saw Robel Teklemariam and his flag. For the first time ever, Teklemariam represented Ethiopia in a Winter Games as a skier. There are no white capped mountains, ski resorts, or snow for that matter on the west coast of Africa. With admiration I thought, how does he train?

Just as the Olympics celebrate victory and citizenship, an emphasis on missions is perfect timing. We do carry a banner, a royal one acknowledging the Cross. We ALL have victory, victory through Christ our Redeemer. And, we do have citizenship, as heirs to the King.

Through their honest stories of struggles with faith and obedience, I found the missionaries' messages universal: Their testimonies of success are on the heals of tested submission. I wish I would have taken notes, but I was so captivated by what the Lord was relaying to me I couldn't. The first spoke of being willing to change directions in life when God tells you to, even if you were serving Him somewhere else, much like Paul listening to the Holy Spirit in Acts 16 and going to Macedonia. The second spoke of trusting God's call despite fear as in 2 Timothy 2:2. The third spoke of going outside of conveniences, comforts, and constant negative voices that try to run contrary to Isaiah 6:8. They all three ran the race set before them and won Gold, in my opinion.

Did these speakers know the week I was having?! Probably not but, God did.

For me, tonight's trio of testimonies boiled down to this: The banner I carry must not be my own, but His. My allegiance is to the desires that He has for me, not just the desires of my own heart. Although sovereign and loving enough to give them to me, how much more is God capable of when I make the desires of my heart, His? The training and perfecting of my faith, does not just happen in ministry and missions, but on the fertile soil of my home "land" and heart. As I eagerly pray for a lost wallet, I grow in belief of His Power and Presence. As I offer myself and others grace, I grow in knowledge of His Character and Compassion. As I listen and obey His still small voice, I grow in His Peace and Provision. Those are medals I want for myself and for others to win!

As I catch my breath and inhale the new gift of Euphoria perfume, God imparts this Word, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphant procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and whose who are perishing" 2 Corinthians 2:14-15.