When I was asked whether I would be interested in joining a small group of people on a short-term mission trip, I was very reluctant. I am a city person, used to the normal comforts of suburban-living. I was aware that God wanted to do something in my life when I received a total of 5 confirmations in the span of one week-end.
The trip was only going to be 5 days long and I had to consider taking "the risk" of giving up 5 days of my leave. Going into "God territory" is a risk, because you do not come out of there unchanged. We were heading for
Ovamboland, in Namibia, almost 30km from the Angola border.
Sometimes God places us on His operating table to do heart-surgery. Other times He requires from us to consider His operating table for some cosmetic-surgery. Any surgery under God's scalpel is painful, whether you want it or not.
Heart surgery is something we don't really want, but we are in desperate need of it when we give our lives to Christ. It becomes our life-line to spiritual survival after being battered and weary from the world's way of doing things. We find ourselves broken. Only God's heart surgery can set us on the path to recover.
Cosmetic surgery, even in the natural, is a whole different approach. Cosmetic surgery is not always needed for spiritual survival, but if you want it desperately it is a personal choice you make.
I sometimes think God tricks us onto His operating table. Once we have allowed Him to heal us and mend our hearts. He takes away the heart of stone and gives us a new heart of flesh.
The result of His heart surgery leaves us elated and totally amazed by His healing power. In that state of euphoria, we are able to fall in love with Him. We are able to say: "Father, use me and do with me what You're will has destined for me."
I think it's at exactly that moment that the Father calls His ministering angels in to start preparing for the 'nip & tuck', 'implants & lifts' needed in our lives that will enable us to be used by Him. The clay is placed onto the potter-wheel by the master Potter Himself.
I believe many believers of Christ never reach this point in their walk with God, purely because the process is too painful and takes you way out of your comfort zone. Cosmetic surgery is to be wanted by the individual, but we can live without it for many years. The result is a very frustrating and
unfulfilled spiritual journey. His cosmetic surgery adorns us and makes us beautiful and able to contain more of Him, to take to a very dark and needy mission field.
While preparing for the trip to
Ovamboland, I felt vulnerable, unable and exposed on the operating-table of the Great Sculptor. I could sense Him sharpening the blade of His scalpel.
I had thoughts that soon turned into doubts of what I have let myself into and whether this is really something that I really wanted that desperately. Little did I know that the Almighty Hand of God was about to do an implant....He implanted within me a piece of His Heart for "His warm African Bride"
It brings me to my experience of the
Ovambo people and their culture. As
westerners, we experience tradition and culture as a concept that we prefer to cling to although we might have heard the truth already. We cling to our comfortable lifestyles and opinions, which I have heard described by someone as '
consumerist, individualistic, short-
terms, desire-for-pain-free-living' culture. I was confronted & challenged by the above-mentioned being quite contrary to the gospel.
We don't know or even understand the true entrapment of traditions and culture, when Africa is like a huge pot of brewing demonic activity, with its lid still on it. We come along on a one week mission trip. We have with us a lamp(God's Word) and a torch(it's dark there when the sun goes down!). We peep inside this pot, by lifting its lid slightly. The torch light of God's Word allows a few things to escape this brewing mixture of bondage and tradition, called culture. These people don't even know that they are in bondage, until His Word and His Anointing come to destroy the yoke. Tasting and seeing that freedom captured me for a while. I am perplexed and tempted at the same time to consider that our "traditions" are more likely to be a religious spirit of contentment, apathy and comfort.
I struggle to decide which one of these two brewing pots are worse...the one that has easy access to the light and truth, because the lid has been lifted, but chooses to swim in the stew of mediocrity, or the one with the lid still on it.....??
As we approached
Ovamboland, on the way up, I could see the sharp edge of the scalpel stepping closer, as the kilometres ticked down like an hour-glass. What was I to do? I felt so empty, with nothing to give. My culture teaches met that it is important to be full of knowledge and confidence. For the first time, I felt empty, so empty. The Father was nipping and tucking at my need for "fullness". He needs empty and broken jars of clay to carry His Glory.
One thing that impacted and touched me deeply was the people's endearment towards their spiritual father, Mike. They even call him "ta-ta" Mike(ta-ta means dad). I really felt concerned about how we where doing things back home, as we easily sit in what we call "church" on Sundays with critical and rebellious hearts because we will not position ourselves to be fathered bye the father-of-the-house. Spiritual fathers only have two things that qualify them to be a father: their heart towards God and towards the people of God, and his ability to receive from God.
My conclusion in the convictions of my own heart, was that if we do not allow ourselves to be fathered by the father, we will be like Esau who sold his birth right. We will also sell our blessings, our destiny in God, our future to sin, abandonment and ultimately a very lengthy wilderness experience.
I am convinced that we have it far too easy. That we might miss what God has for us, while He is preparing His precious jewels for the crown of His Kingdom amongst dusty feet, and beady brown eyes. The diamonds and pearls of His breastplate are hidden in mud and reed huts, that walk for miles not only for fresh water, but for the water of His Word.
We cannot and will not experience a hunger and thirst for God while feasting off the fat of Cain's sacrifice.
The bitterness of a dry and chapped skin, constant dust in my nose and lack of basic ablutions, does not compare to the one basic need my spirit experienced as I arrived back home....to see a hunger and thirst for God's order to come upon the people of my land, my community and my fellowship. The sweetness of the Master Cosmetic Surgeon, sculpted within me the ability to adorn my heart with a few of His crown jewels. They are precious people who have become my spiritual parents, spiritual mentors and spiritual family.
If you have any reservations and don't even feel that you are called to the mission-field, I still want to encourage you to at least offer up your time for one short trip. I promise you, that it will change how you see yourself as well as your Maker.
