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Missionary seems to be a term attributed to me lately. Often, I am introduced as, "This is Joy, she has come as a missionary to teach in the nursing program." To some of you, perhaps, this does not seem surprising. After all, I told you about feeling God calling me to serve Uganda and you helped me raise a starter fund to follow this passionate call. Is that not the essence of a missionary?
For some reason though, I feel fraudulent when this term is associated with my name. Always, I just see myself simply as a volunteer. Being a missionary seems to entail a bigger purpose with a longer timeline. Being a missionary seems sacred, almost holy, and I do not see myself as anything more than ordinary. I am an ordinary person just following the purpose given to me by God. Maybe, though, the problem is my definition of a missionary. My definition transforms a missionary into a unattainable being. Perhaps, I should really be describing them as a simple servant for God, willing to be dependent on him. If I go by this definition, classifying myself as a missionary seems less fraudulent and much more like ordinary me.
My first blog was that students were calling me "professor" a term which I did not want nor felt qualified to have attached to me. I understand the feeling of being a fraud which is another way to say, we did not earn it or deserve it, or am that. It is like grace which we do not earn, deserve but it is freely given to you. In the end, I had to embrace it, be comfortable in the role so I could grow into that role. I think the journey is similar; you could choose to embrace the role of a missionary and learn to grow through that role.
ReplyDeleteTo simply teach is a teacher, to simple be a servant is to be a missionary. The rest is what we add on to it and it can weigh us down.
Just thoughts and I hope they are helpful
Thank you Dave for your helpful thoughts.
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