Left Behind?

"They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them the most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship." (Acts 20:38, NIV)

What a tender moment today as we shared tears this morning at the FOM, sending yet another family "out there", and with them, a part of our hearts. What an honor to be part of what God is doing this season in West Houston and beyond, from San Antonio to Eastern Europe.
The difficulty for me is sometimes feeling like I'm missing out when we lay hands on a missionary or send off a family who have a job transfer. Perhaps it's because the book of Acts and Paul's scriptures chronicle much of the events from the vantage of those who left... what about those who stayed? We know about Silas, Barnabas and Titus, well... we've heard of them, but who in the world is Mnason?

Perhaps it's part of our human nature to make celebrities as an extension of us, or put others on pedistals--deifying them so that they become meta-human. The paradox is that many such objects of affection are horrified at their new status. Consider (Acts 14) how the people of Lystra responded to Paul and Barnabas at the healing of the local cripple... and contrast that to how Paul and Barney responded (v.14), and perhaps we get a reflection of ourselves.
The more I read the scriptures, the more I am convinced they are mainly written to us, to those left at the dock waving goodbye. Jesus commands us to "go and make disciples"; perhaps that means at work, or at school, or maybe even the local sports association... so many people in desperate need to know that Messiah Jesus loves them. Maybe it looks like an invitation to home-group or KidzPlanet... I don't know; will you join me in praying that we SEE what God is already doing in our midst?

What an adventure life can become, when we realize how important our role is right here, today. May God grant us wisdom and courage to be His ambassadors this week.
Jim K