Want a good read?

Interested in reading some fun yet thought-provoking and theological material? Check out https://varysimplemind.wordpress.com right now.

My friend Evan, who writes for this blog, has a brilliant mind. The way he thinks about God's word and the way he visualizes Christian truth is both entertaining and challenging. If you're at all interested in what he calls "theologically intertwined short stoies," I encourage you to check out his blog. This post is probably my favorite, but I also love this post and this one too.

Introducing The MK

I remember the first time my Mom introduced me as an “MK from Japan” the first day of college at new student orientation. I forced a smile, endured all the “oohs” and “ahs” and questions about my upbringing in a foreign country. I uttered a “Nice to meet you too” and hastily pulled my Mom aside. 

“Mom, please don’t tell people I’m from Japan.”

“Why not? You are from Japan.”

“I just…don’t want you to tell people.”

“Where should I say your from then?”

“Just say California.”

“OK…whatever you say.”

And so, for the remaining hours of orientation, I was no longer Joel-Japan-MK-Driscoll but I became Joel-Normal-Californian-Driscoll. Before my family left to say goodbye my Mom asked me again why I didn’t want to let people know that I grew up in Japan. I didn’t have an answer. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of being a Missionary Kid or that I was embarrassed about being a TCK (Third Culture Kid), there was just a part of me that hated being introduced that way.

We all know that kid. That one kid who’s a little socially off for reasons you can’t quite explain, loves to tell stories about irrelevant topics that often begin with something along the lines of “One time when I was in [insert country name]…”. He isn’t exactly aware of all the American cultural nuances that everyone assumes everyone understands. Oh, and he’s also an MK. That Kid. That’s right. Don’t deny it. You know the stereotype. Chances are you know someone who justifies it too. I’m not saying that all MKs are this way. In fact, most of my good MK friends are some of the coolest, most normal and I-would-have-never-guessed-they-were-TCKs kind of people. Heck, I know that I’m not totally weird and that I can act semi-normal in most social interactions. However, there are enough individuals who grew up with Missionary parents who only reinforce the assumptions people have about MKs.

Since people have good reason to believe the stereotypes concerning Missionary Kids, I find it is frustratingly easy for others to put me in that box. Every time my family would visit a new church or we would meet new people, we were always introduced as “The Driscolls from Japan,” or “The Driscolls: Missionary Family to Japan.” Now I by no means blame my parents for any of this. It’s not their fault at all. It’s just the way that it has always happened. Whenever I would walk into a new Sunday school I was asked to stand up, introduce myself (as the MK who was in the States for only a year). Thus all my interactions with other kids would start with a barrage of inquires about whether I knew any Samurai or if I ate Sushi everyday. Every single one of my social encounters was always premised with my unique upbringing. 

I must reiterate that I am now incredibly proud of my upbringing. If I could relive my life in any different context than the one I was raised in I wouldn’t want to. Being an MK has opened up my world and taught me many important things that I would have never experienced otherwise. I am proud to be an MK. The reason that I never wanted to be introduced as a “the kid from Japan” was because I don’t want to be labeled as that kid and be forced to slowly push through the wake of stereotypes that have been dumped between me and the people with whom I want to build relationships with. I bet you have never thought about that have you? When you meet someone and say that you’re from California, they might make a joke about you being a surfer and bingeing on In-n-Out Burgers, but never will it be some label that makes it difficult to develop friendships. 

I get it. Growing up in Japan is a really cool thing. People are curious about it. They want to know what it’s like to live there, what the food is like, if there are robots or ninjas everywhere, or even if I can speak “Chinese.” I get it. I have a unique life compared to the normal America bubble. But it’s so incredibly frustrating when all my initial interactions are basically a barrage of inquiries about the country of Japan or about my life there. I understand, people mean well. They want to relate by asking questions about something I can relate to, but in the end all it really does is leave me feeling like they don’t really want to get to know me, they want to know about the life of an MK. It has hindered me from developing friendships and has isolated me from getting to know lots of people.

When I came to college, I wanted so much to be free of that stereotype.  I didn’t want to be shrouded in that label as soon as I set foot on campus. So I defaulted to the next place I could call home and told people that I was from California. It worked great. I finally felt normal for the first time in my life! People chose to associate themselves with me not because of my MKness or my associations with an oriental culture, but because they got to know me. Me. No false assumptions about my character or uniqueness, but because Joel was Joel. I loved it. For a time I had turned my back on the reality of being raised as an MK and I was enjoying my new found individuality. As a result of my newfound success at making friends and being normal, I took it to the extreme and made a point to never talk about Japan ever and beat around the bush hardcore if anyone asked about how and where I grew up. 

The past couple months I’ve been doing a lot of thinking regarding my strategy at isolating myself from anything that could tie me to being an MK in Japan. I realized something that has forever changed the way I look at my upbringing: I am different. I’m not normal…but in a good way. I never will be normal and that’s perfectly ok. Growing up in Japan has made me unique in so many fantastic and amazing ways. I understand the beautiful subtleties of cultural differences, I understand that the world is so much more than the bubble of the American dream, I understand that because I was an MK I am maybe a little wiser and more mature than some of my peers. Why would I be ashamed of that? 

Thus I have come to a compromise. I still don’t choose to introduce myself to everyone I meet as from Japan, yet I will willingly divulge the information to my friends and people I get to know better. That way, they don’t stereotype and judge but they can begin to appreciate the incredible life that I’ve had and the phenomenal experiences God has given me. I get to prove to the world that I’m not chained to stereotype because I can am confident in my uniqueness while still finding a way to belong.

All this to say, if you’re an MK this is what I have to say: Be You. Really! Don’t give people the opportunity to judge you just because you’re an MK. I know some people who are MKs who appreciate the MK stereotype. The people I’ve know like this tend to not have a lot of confidence in themselves since they cling so desperately to their MKness as their sole identity. They rely on their MKness and not their own personality to have people be interested in them. I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, but after 20 years of personally struggling to find what it means to be me in a world that is constantly changing around me and in two cultures that don’t completely accept me.  I want to be confident in who God made me to be. I want to build real friendships with normal people and not be put into a box with all the other MKs in the world. I want my social interactions to not always begin with me being an MK but I want them to start like normal conversations do: interests, friends, hobbies, aspirations and dreams. 

I can see how such a blog post as this could come across as feeling like a rant at how the world has treated me as some weird character and not being normal with me. This was not my intention, rather all I wanted to get across is that as an MK I want to be normal. My journey to discovering who I am — as a follower of Christ, growing up in a Japanese nation, who now lives in Japan and who is marrying an American girl — It is far from over as I wrestle with all the highs and lows of being a TCK. The following are some tips (take it or leave it) for how to help an MK that you know (or if you’re an MK yourself then these are some things to keep in mind):

For Non-MKs:

On Behalf of all MKs everywhere, please, treat us like normal people. True, we may be strange, socially-awkward, and not have the best fashion sense but all we want is to have a fair chance to be your friend. The reason we are weird is because our life is weird. Life sure is great a lot of the time for us, but we don’t have many stable friendships and we struggle with finding a sense of belonging and identity. We strive so hard to be as normal as possible and so often fail so hard…so help us! As best as you can, please try not to stereotype us and just pretend like we’re the new kid who moved from California or some other normal place. Give us a chance! Ask us real questions about ourselves and not about the country where we grew up. Ask us what our ambitions in life are, ask us about our favorite food, ask us what we want to be when we grow up, heck, even ask us our favorite color! Just treat us like normal people and we’ll do our best  not to disappoint. A lot of us have incredible life experiences and unbelievably cool stories, not to mention that we are really awesome people. Get to know us before labeling us. 

For MKs (TCKs):

First, don’t ignore the fact that you have such a unique and fascinating childhood. The Lord purposefully put you in a family that serves Him faithfully in a culture not native to your own. Don’t be ashamed of that. In fact, I encourage you to eagerly look for opportunities to let it grow you and teach you important things. However, don’t let it be your identity. God has made you into so much more than the stereotypes that people can pin on you. I would advise that when you introduce yourself to people, make an effort to make you be you. Don’t give others the chance to put you in a box. You are unique. You are different. You are you. So be you. Give others the chance to see who you truly are. Don’t turn your back on your MKness but give others opportunities to see past it and see the real you.

For Ex-MKs (TCAs):

Don’t make the mistake that I made. The way you were raised was exactly where and how God wanted you to grow up. Know that now that you’re older and are off doing different things you can fully appreciate that you were an MK. Your world is way bigger than most people and you understand and know things that people wouldn’t dream of experiencing in a hundred lifetimes. Take advantage of your uniqueness. Embrace it but don’t let your past become your identity. You are more than just an MK. Your past has trained, conditioned, and matured you in way that has individually prepared you for Christ’s kingdom work. Don’t let it shackle you and don’t let it become your identity, but let it spur you on to bigger and greater thing for the Glory of God.

Remember, the fact that you’re being an MK is a huge part of your identity, but it is not your identity. Be confident in who you are and know that God has grown you in fantastic, amazing ways and that He is going to use you mightily. 

“My name is Joel. I’m from California. I’m tall, love basketball and I’m an aircraft mechanic. I’m unique. I’m cool. I’m different. Not solely because of the fact that I’m an MK from Japan, but because I’m who God made me, who I am, and how I was raised me…all how God wanted. Sure I have lots of cool stories and Ya I’m a little weird sometimes but hey, isn’t everybody? You seem cool too. Wanna get to know me? Maybe we could be friends.”

Note: I am just a simply 20 year-old dude who was an MK in Japan. I do NOT at all represent the views of Missionary Kids around the world. I’m just a kid trying to formulate thoughts and if any of this makes sense, great! If not, I’m sorry for taking your time with meaningless rambling. Either way, I hope you now understand an MK’s struggles a little better. If you happen to also be an MK, I hope that you were somehow encouraged and motivated to be confident in who you are and find your source of identity in who God made you and not where you grew up. 

Blessings, Joel

Questions

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to visit the Jr. High youth group I used to be a leader at for a few years. Not only was it great to see how some of the kids had grown both physically and spiritually, but I had the chance to be the “guest speaker” and give a 20min. talk. The following blog entry is that talk. It’s message is one that I really needed and still need for myself so I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

------------------------

Today, I’m going to be asking you guys some important questions. But before I begin, I would like you guys to stand up, put your hand over your heart, and repeat after me: “I, *insert your name*, promise to be honest with myself and honest before God when I answer these questions.” Thanks guys! With all seriousness though, before you answer these questions, I want you to really examine every aspect of your life before you answer. This includes what you do, who you hangout with, where you go, and why you do what you do.

So how about we start with some warm-up questions. Here we go. Would you rather have cheese pizza? or pepperoni pizza? Now remember, when you answer these questions, you really need to make sure you are totally honest and complete sure that you know your answer. Ready? Ok. So who likes cheese pizza? Who likes pepperoni? Alright. We’re pretty much 50-50 on this one. Thanks for being honest guys.

Alright, here’s a question that is a little bit harder. Ready? Would you rather do Math? or English? Now this one could have more of an impact on your life. If you’re like me and do better at Math than English, you’re going to want to do a job that involves more math. For example, I want to be a missionary pilot. As a pilot, I’m going to need to do lots of math. But if you are a English person, you will be more successful in a job that involves more writing and communicating with other people. Thought out it? Who would rather do Math? Who would rather do English? Ok, we’re close to 50-50 on this question too. Let’s continue to be as honest as possible when we answer!

Ok, here’s tougher question. Who here has done something good this last week? No, this is not a trick question. When I say “good” I mean something that God would want you to do. Like saying something nice to someone or reading your Bible or not doing something sinful. Now remember to be honest. Ready to answer? Well, as expected, most of us raised our hands. I know that I did something good this last week. Doing good is a good thing!

We’re going to put the questions on hold for just a little while because I want to show you something I found underneath our washing machine. This is, to say the least, an absolutely filthy rag. (Please imagine an abhorrently disgusting piece of cloth. Although only few of your imaginations will come close to what it was actually like in reality, please imagine me holding it up when I refer to it in later on) I do not know how long it was there nor do I know what exactly this is on here. Here’s another question for you guys. Anybody want to use this to clean something? Anybody want to even touch it? or even get near it? Don’t need to think to long about that one do you!

Well, now that we have this beautiful visual in mind, I’m going to read a passage from the book of Isaiah. 

Isaiah 64:5-6

v5. You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

who remember your ways.

So we’re off to a good start here. God is willing to help us a be with us when we do what is right. God likes when we remember what He says and when we go out and do them. Let’s keep reading.

v5. You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them, 

you were angry.

How then can we be saved?

v6. All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. 

Did I read that right? Did that just say that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags? Filthy Rags???  Remember when I asked you guys about good things you had done this last week? Well today I’m going to tell you something very important so listen closely: All the good that you’ve done amounts to nothing more than this filthy rag. That’s right. Even your righteousness is nothing but the sheer essence of putrescence and disgust. 

Now this rag is pretty gross by human standards, but imagine how this filth compares to the perfection and holiness of God! Imagine standing before the very presence of God, the Almighty of all the Universe, The King of King and Lord of Lords, and all you have to offer to him is a piece of cloth used to mop up your filth. Can you imagine? Do you think the God who is the very being of perfection could except such an offering? I know you hear this verse in Church a lot but let it sink in:

Romans 3:23

That all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The best that you have to offer, your righteousness and your good deeds, only adds up to a filthy rag. You will never ever even be able to even come close to God’s standard of perfection. Just like how Adam and Eve were cast of the garden, if all you have to present to God when you die is your sin and your filth, then you will also be cast out into Hell for all of eternity.

Recap: 1) You can be good. 2) Your goodness is nothing but filthy rags. 3) God cannot except your filth. 

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death...

The punishment for our sinfulness is death. No matter how hard we try, we will be nothing but filthy rags and we deserve death because of it. But Praise the Lord there is a second half to this verse!

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 

while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You see? Although we were still writhing in out filth and living in our disgusting sin, Jesus died so that we could saved from it!

Psalms 103:12

So far as the East is from the West,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Not only are we freed from living in our revolting sin, but it is cast away from us (I throw the rag far away) and we never again need to go back to it! 

Another Recap: 1) You can be good. 2) Your goodness is nothing but filthy rags. 3) God cannot except your filth. 4) Jesus saved you from your filth by dying on the cross. If this doesn’t hit home with you guys, I don’t know what will: Jesus, after being beaten and whipped to the point where he was barely recognizable as a man and after carrying a huge wooden cross around a city, hung on that same wooden cross with nails driven through his hands and feet. Although he was covered in blood from His wounds and covered in shame from the jeering crowd, he endured that death for you. He didn’t want you to suffer the eternal torment and suffering of Hell so he did that for you. He did it because he Loves you. 

And the worst part is that it’s so easy to forget this.

We get side tracked with Bible stories or learning how to be a “good samaritan” or how to read your Bible effectively. Not saying that these are bad because they are good things. But in the process of it all, we lose track and find ourselves slipping into the mentality that we are Christians because of the things we do. We go to church, we pray, we do what is right, and we subconsciously assume that these are the things that bring us eternal life. 

In closing, I’d like to ask you another question. Remember to be completely honest with yourself before God.

If you died right now, where would you go? 

Now the key to answering this question is what do you think about when I ask you this question, what do you think about? Do you think about what you’ve done? The sins you’ve committed? The things you didn’t do? The things you wish you could have done?

Or do you think about what Jesus has already done for you?

If you know that you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior but you are still hesitant to answer this question, I tell you this: 

Romans: 8:1

Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Jesus paid it all. You are freed and you are forgiven.  God has taken your filth from you and you can serve Him know that there is absolutely nothing that you can do that will make Him love you any less then He already does.

But if there are some of you out there and you know that you haven't accepted Jesus, well I’m here to tell you that it’s as easy as accepting Him.

Romans 10:9

If you confess with you mouth, “Jesus is Lord” 

and believe in your heart that God raise Him from the dead, 

you will be saved.

It’s so simple, it’s so beautiful, and it’s so perfect.

Its Jesus.

So if you don’t remember anything I’ve said (or read in your case) today except for one thing, please please please remember this: Jesus paid it all. He loves you and will free you from your sin if you let him. It is my prayer and my wish for you today that you remember this so that you may live in peace and love in Christ. Thank you.

The Longest Day of My Life

It all started Thursday morning at precisely 8:13 as I scrambled out of my bed in a wild frenzy trying to silence my blaring alarm clock. It was the day that my first semester of college would end and I would fly back to Japan for Christmas. I only had one last exam at one o'clock: Old Testament Survey. The rest of the morning was not actually that interesting. It mostly involved me eating breakfast, procrastinating, watching NBA highlights, and cramming O.T. dates, names, and places in the few precious hours I had. The exam itself was not actually very difficult. To be honest, it was surprisingly an anti-climactic way to end the semester. Nevertheless, I walked out in confidence and jubilee knowing that I could count on having 16 official college credits on my transcript. I walked home, watched more NBA, chatted with my housemates, and finished packing for my long trip that lay ahead of me. Little did I know how long.

I went out to dinner with my whole house and lined up for the midnight showing of the Hobbit. At 6:30, we were the first people in line. After playing bananagrams, doing pushups, reading out loud to each other, and gloating over the hundred people in line behind us, we finally entered the theater and got the best seats in the house. The Hobbit was FANTASTIC by the way. Please stop what you are doing right now and go see it. Well, finish reading this first. Then go see it. It was awesome.

At 2:58 AM, the movie ended. It's friday now and after being awake for close to 19 hours, I was starting to feel a little tired. My flight to Seattle was at 5 AM so we went home, snatched up our bags, and were out the door in a flash. Surprisingly, the airport was fairly busy at 4 in the morning. My friend who was flying standby didn't get on the flight with me. With mixed emotions, I waved goodbye as I stepped on the plane without him. If only I could have seen this moment as a foreshadowing of what was to come.

I arrived at Seattle and quickly checked-in on standby for my 12:50 PM flight to Narita. By the time I check my luggage and go through security, I still have over 6 hours to wait before my flight. Now if anyone has every waited in an airport for 6 hours, they know that 6 hours is a very, very, very long time. It's even longer when half the time you are wondering if you won't even get on the flight you are waiting for. It's even longer still when every seat has arm rests between them so you can't lay down. All this to say that 6 hours is indeed a very long time.

Interesting side notes. While waiting during this time, I met someone who was my classmate/friend's brother's friend. *It's a small world after all~* I also got to watch the story of the shootings in Connecticut develop on CNN. Let's remember to be praying for the families and the community there and pray that God will use this to bring glory to His great name and to bring people to recognize His great love.

And now climax of the story. It was 12:53 PM and all the passengers had boarded the plane. Looking around, I could tell who was on standby like I was because they were either nervously glancing at the gate every 5 seconds, tearing their hair out in angst, or on the verge of a mental breakdown. I know because I was doing all three. In retrospect, I suppose that it was mostly from being awake for 28 hours. You can imagine my response when I heard my name being called as I leaped from my seat and dashed to the gate in a furry. The told me I had a seat on the flight! YES!!! That six hour wait had been worth it! Oh Joy! I could at last relax and enjoy knowing where my destiny for the day was: On that flight to see my family again. They were about to lead me onto the airplane when suddenly the phone rang at the counter. The attendant answered it and after a brief conversation she hung up and turned to me. "I'm sorry," she said calmly and professionally, "but although there is a seat for you, the weight limit on the plane has been reached so we cannot let you board." With that she turned, closed the gate door and left me standing there in shock.

Ok, I'm an aviation student so I really do understand why they have those stupid weight limits but seriously? How much is 165 pounds (me) going to do to a Boeing 747? This was even more devastating when I later realized that my 86 pounds of checked luggage had made it on the flight but I didn't. I was devastated again when I talked to an airline employee that said that every flight on the west coast flying over the pacific was %100 booked. Considering that there are plenty of people higher up on standby then I was, the chance of me getting on a flight this weekend is practically nil.

All this to say that it took me a while to figure out what I was going to do, but I finally figured that staying in Seattle was not a good idea considering that I had no place to stay and the flights weren't looking positive. I waited another 4 hours in the airport and caught a 3 hour bus to bring me to my grandparents house. So here I am, 38 hours later, in the mountains with my grandparents trying not to think about the fact that I could be arriving in Japan right about now. This has certainly been one really long day.

I tried to keep this story light hearted and comical, but to be honest, I was tempted so much to be negative all day. Whether it was arm rests so I couldn't lay down, weight limits that would take my luggage on a plane but not me, or that lady next to me on the bus with the kindle on full brightness so I couldn't sleep, I found myself trying not to complain or not to question God's good will. Yes, I know He is in control, but I don't know why He does things the way He does. I'm not going to lie to you. I am really disappointed and very frustrated that I am going to miss spending an entire weekend with my family. But you know what? It's God's plan. So I need to trust that everything he does is to draw me closer to Him and for me to rely on Him more and more. He is Good and He has never failed me before. So even though I feel like my circumstances really suck, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Besides, I get to spend some extra time with my grandparents...in the mountains...in the snow! How cool is that? Well I guess it's not so bad after all. Thanks God.

Jesus, Neighbors, and Airplanes

I once heard that the best place to share the gospel with someone is on an airplane. Think about it. Not only is it perfectly normal to have a conversation with a passenger next to you, but there is no place for them to run. If they don't like what you have to say, they can't make up an excuse to leave because hey, you're on an airplane. What are they gonna do? Go hide in the bathroom for the remaining hour and a half until the plane lands? They have no choice but to sit there and listen as you present God's great message of love and peace that can bring them salvation and eternal life if the accept Christ as their savior.

Why do I mention this you ask? For two reasons. First, I have been doing some traveling lately and will continue to be on the road (and the air) for the next couple of weeks. So as my frequent flyer miles stack up, this has been something on my mind. Second, this is an issue that God has really been challenging me on lately. As most of you know, it is my passion – and I believe it is my calling – to be a missionary and specifically a missionary pilot overseas. It breaks my heart to know that every day real people who have real lives go another day without knowing that God loves them and desires for them to turn to Him. It breaks my heart even more to know that there are people that die everyday who have never even heard the name of Jesus before. I want to point people to Christ.

Despite this desire I have to share the gospel with others, I have never really had the boldness and courage to intentionally seek out people to tell them about Jesus. As a matter of fact, it is something that I am terrified about. It all started back when I was in 7th grade while at boarding school in Japan. I was getting a haircut and decided that I should try and share the gospel with the Japanese guy who was cutting my hair. In my limited and extremely informal Japanese, I did my best to try and speak God's words of hope and truth into this man's life. I didn't even know the right Japanese words for grace, sin, or salvation! Right from the get go, I could see his eyes glaze over as he nodded politely after everything I said. As I concluded my spiel, he smiled and gave me the Japanese version of the phrase, "Well that's nice." Needless to say, I walked out of that barber shop extremely disappointed in my failure.

Ever since this moment, I have been hesitant to intentionally seek the lost to share the gospel with them. Sure I was able to talk with some public school friends about Christ, but over the last three years, it has been an issue that I have been avoiding in my walk with the Lord. I was reminded of this issue when I had lunch with a friend when I was California last weekend. She reminded me of a very interesting idea behind The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. The word "Go" as in "Go and make disciples of all nations" actually means as you go in the original greek. Jesus' final words on Earth commands us to make disciples as we go. This means that where ever we are, what ever we are doing, or who ever we are with, we share the message of Jesus Christ with everyone we can.

So the question that has been haunting me is this: How will I be able to share the gospel with people in the future as a full-time missionary if I can't do it now as I go in my life at college? I was reminded of my short comings the other day when I realized that I had passed up a perfect opportunity to talk to the passenger next to me about Jesus. Looking back, I can't believe how blind I was to this divine appointment. Of course, no one is perfect, but in order to be a man after God's own heart, I must try to have God's heart. And God has a heart that seeks the lost.

Please join me as I not only pursue opportunities to share the gospel, but I pursue to create new opportunities to share God's love with my neighbors and people in my city here at college. It won't be easy and I know that I will fail at times, but I will certainly not give up. They say that the chief end of man is to Glorify God. One of the best ways to glorify God is to show others how great He is! The way that we show others to God is by sharing the message of Jesus and how His death and resurrection brings life to those who were once dead. What good news is this! How can we keep it to ourselves?

The Great Commission: It was His command. It is our calling. It will be our lifestyle.

Literally Dropped In My Lap

As I sat at my desk working on an exegetical paper on a passage in Joshua, my roommate walk in and tossed something in my lap. Puzzled, I scooped it up and glanced at it as I asked him what it was. He said that it was a job application to a thrift store nearby and that I should check it out. At the time I was doing some serious job-hunting but had not had any positive results. Sure, there were lots of people praying that I would find a job, but in this economy and with the scarcity of jobs available, I must confess that I was doubtful to find anything (not to mention that my resume is not very impressive). The  application was for a local homeless outreach who ran a thrift store to support the homeless shelter across town. Working at a thrift store sounded like a good possibility, so I shrugged and started filling it out.

Fifteen minutes later, I was pedaling toward downtown on my bike eager yet unsure about submitting another application. The facility was very impressive and the staff quite professional. I submitted my application as well as my resume and as I walked out those doors I was hoping for the best.

4 weeks is a long time to not hear anything. When it comes to job applications, when you don't hear anything for an entire month, it usually means that you have been forgotten. That's OK, I thought, I'm sure that God will provide something else. Disappointment was something that I had gotten used by this point and I was on the verge of giving up many times.

Well thanks be to the God that never forgets us even if companies do. I received a very unexpected phone call in the other day that went something like this:

"Hello?"
"Hello. Is this Joel Driscoll?"
"Yes it is. Can I help you?"
"The is Ms. Jane Doe from Union Gospel Mission. We were digging though some of our older applications and we stumbled across yours. We were wondering if you are still available for employment."
"Well I certainly am!" *fist pumping*
"Excellent. We'd like to meet you. Can you come in for an interview?"
"Certainly!" *more fist pumping*

You have probably guessed this already, but I went in for the interview, got the job, and will start working this Friday. As I look back and see how God provided this job, I see that He really did drop it in my lap. To those of you who were praying: Thank You.

How can I ask for any more than this? How can I ever forget that He will always provide? How can I ever doubt such a powerful God? He has given me no such reason. It blows me away how He has revealed Himself these first few months. It seems too easy to forget the goodness of God. Let us not forget who we serve and continue to trust in Christ our Savior and Lord for He is a good God.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (and to Him who drops wonderful things in our laps!), according to His power that is at work with in us, to Him be the glory in the church and Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
                - Ephesians 3:20-21

Too Much yet Never Enough

Imagine that you have just won a free lifetime supply of gift cards that would cover the price for any restaurant that you go to. What would your initial response be? If you are anything normal, you might jump up and down and scream for joy. Those of us who are more reserved might just smile and then wait to jump and scream when we know that no one is looking. Such a gift would be incredible! Food is good, but free food is even more glorious; Is there anyone who would reject such an offer?

My response to getting accepted to MBI was very similar. Ok, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration. But there was jumping and fist pumping involved I'll tell you that much. Like I had just won a life time pass to freedom and excitement,  I was excited to be on my way to be a missionary pilot and my spirit was flying high (pun intended). Once I arrived here in Spokane my excitement was rekindled. My time here has been absolutely phenomenal and I have been so blessed to be able to attend such an awesome school. The professors and classes have not been too difficult but they have certainly been spiritually challenging and inspiring. Spending all day in God's word and learning more about Him has been a wonderful experience. Fredrick W. Faber could not have been any more correct when he said:

     "Only to sit and think of God, Oh what a Joy it is!
       To think the thought, to breath the Name, Earth has no higher bliss."

God has been teaching me so much that sometimes I feel like my head is about to explode with information! As a matter of fact, there are somedays were I feel like I can not learn anymore simply because there is so much to learn.

A wonderful yet annoying truth has began to haunt me over my first few months here: God, being infinite, omnipotent, and all-knowing, is a God that we, as temporary, broken, and foolish people, can never fully understand His majesty, ways, and being. This bugs me so much! I can never fully grasp God. He is just too much for me. I can study as much as I want about theology and doctrine but this feeble mind of mine can only handle so much information. But I want so much more! I desire to understand and to comprehend the entirety of His goodness and love. Jesus is just too good to not seek Him wholeheartedly and He deserves our all. It is frustrating that we are only human and can only fill our minds to a certain point. I suppose this fact just adds to the greatness of God! If we can never fully understand Him, it gives us all the more reason to adore his majesty and awesome power. Even if he may be too much for us, he will never be enough. My mind is overflowing with Jesus...but I desire more! Just as if I had won that gift card, I have eaten too much of God's free food so I am full. It was so delicious that even though I am full, I want more!

Please do no misunderstand me. I am not in any way, shape or form saying that Christ is not good enough. He is more than enough for us. In fact He has gone far beyond all that we can hope or imagine because while we were still sinners he died for us. Even though I sin against Him everyday, He continues to be faithful and loving as He forgives me and helps me up again. All am saying is that we, in our weak and finite minds can never fully understand His greatness even we seek it to the ends of the world.

I hope that you have somehow been encouraged through this post. Our God is indeed a great God! Let us continually seek Him every day for as long as we live. I conclude with this passage from God's word:

    "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:
     that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
     to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple."
                           - Psalms 27:4