When I Grow Up

Recently, a manager at work asked me, "What do you want to do when you grow up?"

Not always wanting to bring out the religion card, I said in general, "I want to travel the world."

He asked, "Doing what?"

"Helping people."

*Boom*  He called me out.  "Like a missionary???"

"Um, yes," I said.

So, our conversations dove into a lot about being Christian and one common theme came out, "It's not about me.  It's about Him and making this a better place."

From the Beginning

There is always something about the travel and the journey to another place.  When I was 7, I took an airplane ride with my family to visit relatives in Hong Kong.  I remember being delayed, stuck in South Korea coming from Seattle, being in Hong Kong for well over 6 weeks, then to come back via Tokyo Japan and finally made it to Charlotte a day late, and missing the first day of school.  (Circa 1987.)  Looking back, I didn't quite mind the journey as much as I knew we were going to land somewhere.

My first impression of Hong Kong: wow, it feels like America.  There's McDonald's (yay), English (although, I thought it was funny that "harbor" was spelled "harbour"), grocery stores, and modern pharmacies.  I remember it was very hot and humid.  Some of my cousins speak some English.

But some things I got used to (and in many of the past Hong Kong trips): driving on the left side, double decker buses, really good dim sum, drinking hot tea (when it is like over 30 degrees C outside), learning to drink Hong Kong style milk tea (a Hong Kong version of British tea), lemon tea from a box... Okay, just drinking A LOT OF TEA... Learning that KFC served white rice as a side, good "biscuits" (aka cookies) that are not too terribly sweet, the sweltering heat in the summer months, getting sick every other time I go there, learning and relearning the bus/train routes, and there are probably a slew of other things.

Since that one trip and many others, I always like to travel and visit other places.  Most importantly, to experience another culture through thought, food, habits, and everyday life.

I never knew...

When I later became a Christian, I never knew that there was a thing called "missionaries."  Some of the most famous ones you might think of are Billy Graham (technically, maybe not, but he's been everywhere), J. Hudson Taylor (missionary to China), and most recently, the Tebow's (Philippines).  I know quite a few others who are either currently serving overseas or on fur low or just doing other things now. 

So, God gave me a heart to go somewhere soon after I become a Believer. 

Granted, I am not your typical people-person.  Part of my personality and part of my DNA is that I am a logical thinking engineering woman, through and through.  I'm not necessarily an introvert; I don't mind being around people most of the time.  However, it takes me a while usually to get to know anyone.  I am observant, reserved at first.  I don't always do well in large crowds of people.  I do much better in smaller circles of friends.

So, the conversation I had before with this manager got me thinking, "How does a normally reserve person impact the world, possibly in another continent?"

The answer: It's not about me.  It's about Him.  And I want to help people.

It's not my strengths that God put me here or there or anywhere. But a passion for people, maybe certain types or culture, that God will put me there.  In my weakness, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Along the way...

God doesn't make us a lone ranger.  God made us a family of believers and followers of Christ.  Along the way, God will place people or situations in your life to further the kingdom.  Could be a future husband, wife, a group of other like-minded missionaries, a job possibility, an international project.  And so many time, my pastor, Naeem Fazal, had the conversation in service, "What decisions have you made that defines who you are now?  What decisions are you making today that will define who you will be?"

I like how my everyday life of working parallels to the messages I learned from my church and my small groups or the postings on FB.  God has a hand on how He influences me in so many ways.

Growing up

If you ask me what I want to do, I do like to travel the world, maybe plant myself in Asia somewhere, teach English or engineering or whatever, and enjoy the journey God has put me in.  I hope and pray that, just maybe, God will bless me with a husband with a similar mind but knowing if Paul can travel in an unmarried state, I guess I can too and trust that He will have me with other Believers sharing the same journey.

The end.