I have been grappling recently with a call to simpler living, to giving up the earthly things that ground me or at least which provide comfort and security. A stripping away of things.
I have always been of the conviction that a single person working overseas needs his or her own space, a place that can be their home base, especially given that when we travel on work trips, we do not take our "home" with us in the person of a spouse or family. So it is good to come back to a place that is truly ours, to a town where you have had built friendships and a support group.
However, given the instability of the country where I live, I have left my apartment and my cat Tigger behind and been on the road for the past 7 weeks, 2 weeks in Burkina Faso, 2 in Thailand (for meetings), two in France (for vacation) and now back in Burkina. If conditions are right, I hope to return "home" soon, but am considering giving up the apartment where I have lived since 1999 - longer than I have every lived ANYWHERE! Moving to our guesthouse would make me much more flexible and able to leave if conditions become insecure. I would have many fewer things to manage (guard service, cleaning, rent payments, etc). And this would provide extra income for our guesthouse which badly needs it due to the crisis.
In addition, I have a job offer which may well take me to Cameroon in 2013 when my current role ends, and will call for a decent amount of time traveling from guesthouse to guesthouse. All this means giving up the stability of a place that is my own, with the comforts of a microwave, stove, fridge, French cable TV, dvd player, books, tools, bike, keyboard, saxophone, some rugs and pictures, exercise equipment, and a sweet little kitty. And a city that I know well, full of people that I know and love.
This was never what I expected. I mean didn't I already give up a house back in America, nearer to friends and family with lots more comforts? Do you really want me to give up the one in Africa that has no AC or hot water, is dusty and hot much of the year, has an open sewer running in the street out front, and seems to be in the middle of a construction zone most of the year.
Last week, my reading plan took me to two passages about the living conditions God lays out for those serving him.
Numbers 35: 1-6. In this passage, when the land of Israel is being divided among the tribes, each tribe is given land except the Levites who were to serve as priests and thus less concerned with worldly pursuits. However, each tribe is commanded to give complete cities to the Levites for them to dwell in. "Thus they will have towns in which to live, and their grazing lands will be for their cattle, for their possessions, and for all their animals".
One can conclude that it is normative that those serving God have houses - some sorts of dwelling places for their possessions and to live. But somehow this is to be less of a focus for them than for the other tribes.
Luke 10:1-17 is the passage where Jesus sends the 72 out, two by two, on an initial preaching trip of several weeks. It is interesting to note that in verses 4-12, only two verses have to do with the simple message they are to preach - "the Kindgom of God is near" - and a full seven have to do with what they should take with them (nothing) and how they should accept hospitality and what to do if they do not receive it.
Jesus basically sends them out with NOTHING - no money bag, no suitcase, no extra shoes (not even cycling shoes which I lugged around in my luggage to Thailand and France last month???). As As with the Levites, God makes provision for his servants via the hospitality and gifts of others. Don't even worry about being a burden on those you are visiting - stay in ONE house the whole time you're in a town, not moving about.
God promises so much if we will let him strip away things:
"You're blessed when you've lost it all.When God called Peter (Luke 5), the calling was preceded by Jesus telling them, "Push out into the deep water and let your nets out for a catch." Peter expresses that they have not caught anything all night but "if you say so, I will do it.". . . And nothing was ever the same for him.
God's kingdom is there for the finding." Luke 6:21 (message).
The morning after I received the job invitation which would involve me moving to a new country, I read the call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-2): "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you." Abraham is being called from the land and the house and all that he knows to something much better, that will be a blessing for him and for many others.
Can I trust you, Lord, to go out into uncharted waters and territory? The idea is growing in my heart and head. Hope I can keep up.
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