The Ride is not the Same for Everyone

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"They were unarmed. They were not being paid for their services. They had traveled to this distant part of the world because they wanted to help people in need. They were guests of the Afghan people. The Taliban stopped them on a remote road on their journey from Nuristan, led them into a forest, robbed them and killed them." - Hillary Clinton on the murders of 10 medical missions workers killed in Afghanistan.

Tragic and heartbreaking news, isn't it? And yet it happens all around the world every day. People who are willing to go anywhere in the world, just to help. To make a difference. And they find themselves facing
facing great peril, suffering persecution, even death. And still they go.

Even one of our own from Maryland, a teenager named Emily Kerstetter who goes to Mt. De Sales Academy, found herself in the middle of a political war. She went to Uganda on a missions trip, just wanting to help. And along with her team, gathered in a restaurant to watch the world cup on the big screen. I imagine them laughing, and reflecting on their trip thus far. They were so excited to be a part of what God was doing in Uganda, working closely with Pastor Peter, and preparing to come home.

But then the violent collision of warring politics and agendas, religion and justice, and matters so complex that it's hard to understand, let alone explain... erupted in a planned attack. A bomb went off and dozens were killed. Miraculously, Emily's team survived, but Emily sustained very serious injuries to her legs. Pastor Peter died in the attack.

I have the privilege of sharing my love for Jesus Christ on the airwaves every day to thousands. I work with my brothers in Christ that I love and respect. We laugh every day as we serve the Lord. At my church, I play music and sing and enjoy the beauty of leading people in worship. I have opportunities to go and speak to groups of wonderful believers, who encourage me with their prayers, hugs, and sometimes even make me little gifts. A prayer shawl, a picture, a hand-made card. They even feed me- eggs and fruit for breakfast, chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, and vats of chocolate for dessert. Yes... ministry is hard for me, but I bear it, somehow. And I get to minister every day, love what I do and sometimes get paid for it. I am blessed.

So what is serving Jesus costing me? Ever think about that?

I am more and more, pondering Jesus's words in Matthew 5:10,
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".

And the writer of Hebrews, who puts it this way in Hebrews 11:36-28,
"Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them".

Please don't get me wrong. I don't mean to diminish the sacrifices that I and others in ministry make, here at home in America. They are real sacrifices of time, resources, relationship, long work hours, study, finances and pouring out all you have. I have felt the burden and the sting of what ministry has cost me in my life, personally. But it has never, and I mean never- cost me my own blood.

Hebrews 12:4 says, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

I saw the pictures of those medical aid workers murdered by the Taliban and have been thinking about the cost of their service. And I am humbled. Challenged.
And so inspired by the people of faith throughout history and right now.. whose blood has been shed, whose freedom has been abducted, whose ministry has cost them what it has never cost me. We have the same Lord, the same Jesus.. And yet our experiences in serving Him are vastly different.

How can we be on the same ride of life, and some of us are laughing, some of us crying, some of us so terrified, we're screaming our heads off, and some of us wanting to just get off this thing..?

Wherever you are today in your journey with the Lord, just BE THERE. Surely God didn't make a mistake. You are positioned to serve Him, where you are.. by His plan and His purpose. Soak it up. And take courage from those who whose assignments have taken them to places where the ride is quite different. My guess is that the 10 that were killed in Afghanistan would say to us right now, if they could... that all they did to serve Christ, all of it- was absolutely worth it.