Here and There

Those of you who follow our blog might be wondering why I have not posted any new blogs lately. I am sorry for the lapse, but our lives have been over-the-top busy. Writing has taken a backseat to ministry, travel and also, our recent purchase of a new fifth wheel.

We returned to the United States from Israel March 30th. Since then - in the last 53 days - we have traveled 5,878 miles through 12 states. We stayed in 4 different hotels, 7 different homes, 1 church apartment, and 1 retreat resort. We also spent three hours of one short, cramped and uncomfortable night sleeping in our truck. Two more nights we found ourselves in our newly purchased fifth wheel. That’s a lot of packing and unpacking, arrivals and departures, hellos and goodbyes.

When Bill and I were in Singapore in 2005, I remember missionary Steve Willoughby saying, “Traveling is the hardest kind of work.” It was nice to hear someone of his caliber say that. Of course, he can identify firsthand with our lifestyle, since he has spent a lot of time deputizing. I always find it mildly amusing when people assume that our life is easy. It isn’t easy; in fact, sometimes it is downright challenging.

We sometimes hear an interesting comment from a church person who, as we are leaving, looks at us wistfully and says, “How nice. You have the day off today.” I just smile. Why tell them that we have already spent three hours packing up our RV and we have no idea what the day will hold for us? They simply would not understand.

Most of our travel days, even if we are just going to another church a few hours away, are 10 to 12 hour days. When we pull into a truck stop to get diesel, we don’t just zip in and zip out. If we have to find a place to dump our black tank, that could add an hour or two into our day. Unfortunately, flat tires don’t care that we have somewhere to go and someplace to be. And if you think changing a tire on an RV is like changing the tire on your Toyota Camry, think again. Think even harder about getting two flat tires at once. (Yes, that did happen to us. But that’s a tale for another time.) How about maneuvering a truck and RV around strange cities, following imprecise directions, and getting lost? Then, when we pull into a church parking lot, it takes at least an hour to get our RV level and set up. By that time, we are usually tired, and sometimes hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable. Not exactly the 24-7 vacation people sometimes think we are enjoying!

Fatigue is easily my most common complaint, but one I rarely voice to others. It is much better to smile at someone than it is to complain to them. Complaining won’t make me any less tired. Smiling makes me feel better, and sometimes it makes other people feel better too, so what’s the point of griping?

Some weeks, I have no idea where I will be a week later. Our lives have little routine and predictability. Many times I feel like a person without a country. People often ask us where we are from. Because they expect a response, we tell them we are from St. Louis, but in reality our home is both everywhere and nowhere. For women who require the security of a house and steady income, being an evangelist’s wife would be a nightmare. Of course, I need security too, but I think God placed in me a love for what we do. Plus, Mom and Dad never tied me to their apron strings. At 17, I spent my first summer away from home and our family vacations were always spent traveling somewhere. So I was conditioned early in my life to not fear change and transition.

Besides, I love my life. Regardless of truck problems, RV issues, unpredictable income, and other stressors, I wouldn’t trade places with anybody else.

When all is said and done, seeing one soul won to God or knowing that one person has been encouraged to stay in the race more than compensates for every inconvenience and challenge that comes our way. If one soul is worth more than all the world, then one soul is certainly worth more than a flat tire. Besides, Jesus did not really have a home either and great anointing demands great sacrifices.

I like to say that I am blessed to simply watch God’s hand at work. We are nothing more than vessels He has chosen to work through. It is an incomparable privilege to be His vessel. Who I am is not what is most important. People need the vessel, but they need what is in the vessel more…much, much more.