Trading the Temporary for the Eternal
Summer is here. Schools are closed, the kids are home, and families everywhere are figuring out how to spend this long break. The most common response to the summer heat is to plan a vacation - travel, relax, and connect as a family.
My family and I were doing the exact same thing.The job of researching destinations and building the itinerary was on me, and while it can be a painful process, the anticipation of the end result made it exciting.
This wasn’t just any country; it was my dream destination and therefore my excitement knew no bounds. But it was not the trip or the destination alone that excited me but that my heart longed to meet a person who was dear for several reasons.
This was a man I first met when I was in the 10th grade. He was the one who gave me my very first Bible when I was not even a believer, who encouraged me to go to Bible college, and who has stayed in continuous touch with me since we last saw each other in 2005. He is now advanced in age, and I knew this might be my last chance to see him. I prayed about it and dreamed about it every day. I couldn't wait to introduce him to my believer husband and my miracle child. I wanted to tell him all about our church and the seminary studies I am doing. I wanted to show him how the seed he sowed is now bearing fruits in my life. My heart was overflowing with joy.
An Unexpected Turn
Just as we were ready to apply for our visas and confirm our bookings, our church announced a couple of mission trips. One of the members asked if I would be interested in joining the trip, especially since the team would be visiting my hometown as well.
I met the invitation with reluctance because I was already so thrilled about our family trip. But when I later asked my husband if we could also do the mission trip, he explained we could only manage any one of the trips.
A battle began inside me. One part of me wanted to go on the mission trip to experience how God is working and to see how we, as a family, could get plugged into ministry. But the other part of me was screaming, "What about our holiday trip? What about my plans? What about my desires?"
I cried out to God in despair, asking him to make this trip happen because I wanted it so desperately.
The Mirror of the Heart
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21
In that broken moment, God gently showed me where my heart truly was. Meeting that special person was a beautiful thought, but it had also become an excuse. My deeper desire was simply to visit another country and feel good about it.
We hear so often in Church about living for his Kingdom, but in reality, I wanted to live for myself. Taking a vacation or visiting a new country wasn't the problem, however prioritizing my own desires over God's promptings was.
It was during this heavy contemplation that a familiar worship song started playing in my mind: "Let your kingdom come, let your will be done." Those words convicted me deeply. I realized that praying for his will meant I had to lay down my own carefully crafted plans.
Every Sunday, we close our service hearing the words, "Go in peace, go on mission." I used to sit in the pews wondering what kind of mission I could possibly do as a homemaker. But through this painful struggle of letting go, God showed me what it truly means to be mission-minded.
He opened my eyes to see that being on mission means being willing to lay down my most cherished plans and personal comforts when he calls. It means trusting that joining his work, even when it completely interrupts my own desperate desires, is a far greater purpose than serving myself.
Surrendering to True Joy
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." - Psalm 16:11
Honestly, it wasn’t an easy choice. I wrestled with it. Yet, God reminded me that just as my excitement for our family holiday was about meeting that beloved person and not just visiting the country, the mission trip was also more about the One my soul loves and longs for. He is my true source of joy and more beautiful than the most scenic destination. My excitement yet again knew no bounds for I will be able to see and witness the glories of Kingdom work before my eyes.
Finally, I surrendered. I fully expected that when summer arrives and the dates of our original trip passes, I would struggle with disappointment. But God surprised me.
He gave me a deep, supernatural inner peace and joy. He didn't just help me overcome my initial disappointment; he used this entire process to reshape my heart. My heart is learning to be shaped by his perfect will rather than my own plans.
He completely shifted my desires, making me see the surpassing worth of Kingdom work over simply enjoying a beautiful location. In that full surrender, we experienced the joy of trading the temporary for the eternal.
Church, if you are wrestling with disappointment or a hard choice today, take heart. When we step out in faith to seek his Kingdom first, the joy he gives in return is far greater than anything we leave behind.
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33
