Two years ago, during Sabbath School at Michigan campmeeting, I heard a testimony that baffled me and still has me lucidly befuddled. It was time for mission spotlight and they had an older woman share about her experience on the mission field. After the formal presentation, the interviewer announced that they also had that woman’s mother up front with them.
Now details elude me but the mother was definitely over 90 years of age. What I’m not sure about is if she was near 100 yet. I’m quite enamored with people who’ve lived that long. I wonder what their eyes have seen, what they’ve heard, experiences they’ve lived through and how they view the world in light of it all. I wonder what clarity perspective has brought them, what things matter most when you’ve witnessed so much, what wealth of wisdom they represent in their own person.
I know it’s possible to be old and yet unwise, but it’s also possible to be old and wise right 🙂
The interviewer asked her age first – which response I don’t recall. Then he asked her if she had been on the mission field. She’d spent all of her adult life on the mission field, raised her children in that manner, and now her daughter was living the missionary life as well.
I began to ponder what all those years on the field had done to her faith. What I mean is, she’d been preaching that Jesus is coming soon, for a century, but He isn’t here yet. Did she still believe it? Could I still believe it after another 30years elapsed and I found myself married with children and perhaps, even grandchildren?
The interview was done, but then she requested to make an additional comment. Her words brought tears welling up and barely constrained from streaming down. I wish I could remember the precise wording but it was something to the effect of, “I am looking forward to Jesus coming back.”
This was not an answer to the interviewers question…It was a statement spoken from the abundance of her heart. She really wanted to see Jesus come back.
How can you give your whole life in mission service for the goal of seeing Christ return and as you approach a century of such service, still yearn for that “elusive” goal ever the more earnestly? How can you go from believing that Jesus is coming soon, to believing He is coming SOON 80years later? And how does your desire to see Him come grow even as He seems to tarry?
The thought struck me that she must love Jesus. She must love Him so much that she would do anything to please Him, and can’t wait for Him to return. And when you love someOne, distance makes the heart grow fonder! Especially when you remain in constant communication, stay up-to-date on each others lives, spend time in activities together…Then the longer you’re apart, the more earnestly you desire to be together.
If we grow weary of waiting for our Lord, then we probably don’t love Him. We love those things that we are growing impatient of waiting for, but we don’t love Him. Because our desire for His return would be only the more fervent as time tarries.
Oh that we would love Him!