Never Satisfied (by Jackie Greene)

I recently heard a quote that said something like, “Life doesn’t wait for us to get back on our feet … it’s happening right now.” It’s amazing how quickly time moves on at such a consistent pace without ever slowing down or taking a rest. On my birthday this year, I was on an airplane from my first part of my time on the far side of the world and I was trying to figure out how three weeks could have happened as quickly as it did. But, at least I had the next four months with the second part of my time on the far side of the world to look forward to. And now, in what almost seems like the blink of an eye, here I sit in Thailand reflecting on the past four months, wondering how so much anticipation and curiosity could become memories so fast. And now, I look forward to the next two months as I bounce around throughout south east Asia and the massive islands of the southern hemisphere, trying to brace myself for the moment just around the corner when those two will become another part of my collective past.
So far I’ve been witness and participant to ministries to two distinctive religious people groups from the top of the world to the depths of the sea. I’ve been exposed to the concept and reality of witnessing to the lost by actually WITNESSING, and not through the self-gratifying work service projects that have become the norm in the upper middle class white suburbia of America. God has blessed me through interacting with his people and his nature, exposing me to personal highs and painful lows, and has taken His time in refining my life to become more of the person He wants me to be (although He’s got His work cut out for Him and has a LONG way to go before He’s finished with me!). And now it’s on to the next page in this chapter of my life. It’s time to visit new places, meet new people, experience new ministries, and allow God to continue the work He’s begun in me.
Thailand is a beautiful place with wonderful people, like most other parts of the world I’ve interacted with. When I first began planning my time here, it was mainly for personal reasons and included everything from heading to the southern part of the country to go scuba diving to heading out of country to places like Cambodia and Laos. However, that’s not why God wanted me here. Whether it’s for me to show support and encouragement or for me to be the one to learn and grow from her, my time in Thailand has changed to spending my time with a Westwood missionary who’s at the beginning of her third year here. On different levels I’ve been fortunate enough to see Carol Messerli be a blessing to me and to other missionaries as she’s done missionary care with Wooddale. My hope and prayer are that I can offer something similar while I’m here in Thailand. It’s a new kind of ministry for me and I’m excited to see how God uses me.
From here I go on to even further ministry ventures as I do marketing and promotions for the work I’ve been doing over the past four months. I get to attend a conference where I’ll have a display set up for people to stop and learn about how God’s working in south east Asia and then I’ll travel around from church to church to share more one-on-one. New people, new countries, new cultures, and new ministries … God’s keeping me on my toes! But He’s also providing for me along the way. I’ve made new friends in two different countries so far, I’m getting to know a new friend I’d only previously met once over lunch during a brief homestay in Minnesota a year ago, I’m reconnecting with my parents on the far side of the world, I’m spending time with old friends on their home turf for the first time ever, and I’m making all sorts of new friends through some unique networking.
So, now I have two months of new adventures to look forward and anticipate. I have a challenge that comes with that, though. Someone very close to me recently gave me the assignment of keeping focused on the here-and-now, not allowing the questions of what’s to come get in the way of enjoying, appreciating, and growing from the experiences I’m in the middle of right now. Ironically, it’s a promise I made to myself before I left back in March … to not pay any more attention to the future then is necessary but, instead, to focus on what’s going on at the moment and savor it for all it’s worth. Even so, I already know that come early November I’ll be reflecting back on this moment and I’ll wonder how the past two months went by with the speed in which they did. But then, I’ll have new adventures to look forward to and will need to put my attention and energy on staying focused on those moments as they happen. It’s a never ending battle … and I wouldn’t have it any other way!