“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2
It is hard to believe, but on October 4th, TREC will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. WOW how time flies. Also, next year I turn 60. Those of you that are my age or older know that you start thinking different when you approach this age. I have had many thoughts on what this next chapter of my life will look like. Will I slow down and coast in? Will I focus on my golf game and grandkids?
A book I read when Trudy and I were wrestling on obeying the call to invest our lives into missions was “Dangerous Wonder” by Michael Yaconelli. I picked that book back up this week, and something started stirring in my soul. He writes about the “Obstacle of Dullness.” Here is what I read: “We are in a war between dullness and astonishment. The most critical issue facing Christians is not abortion, pornography, the disintegration of the family, moral absolutes, MTV (this book was written in 1998), drugs, racism, sexuality, or school prayer. The critical issue today is dullness. We have lost our astonishment. The Good News is no longer good news, its ok news. Christianity is no longer life changing, it is life enhancing. Jesus doesn’t change people into wild-eyed radicals anymore, He changes them into nice people….A.W. Tower said a long time ago, ‘Culture is putting out the light in men and women’s soul.’ The greatest enemy of Christianity may be people who say they believe in Jesus but who are no longer astonished and amazed. Jesus Christ came to save us from listlessness as well as lost news; He came to save us from flat souls as well as corrupted souls. He came to save us from dullness…We have forgotten how to dance, how to sing, and how to laugh. We have allowed technology to beat our imaginations into submission and have become tourists rather than travelers.”
Has my walk become dull, routine? Have I stopped dreaming big, God-sized dreams in exchange for comfort and preparing for retirement?
I remember early on in TREC’s existence I was talking to Jiwan (I’ll be spending time with him in India this week) about retirement. He looked at me and asked, “What is retirement?” I spent the next several minutes trying to explain what this is. He said “Brother, we don’t retire! We work hard until Jesus calls us home. Never retire!”
I’m sharing this with you today because I feel that I need to confess something to you. I feel like my life has become dull, and I have lost my edge. Even in the midst of doing mission work in Cuba, in planting churches there, and here in my hometown, life has become dull and routine.
I have confessed this to my Lord, but I am sharing this with you today because I want you to hold me accountable to not following the norms of our culture. I refuse to focus on recreation when there is a lost world. I’m asking the Lord for the ability to dream big dreams again. That He will give me a dream that people will laugh at, a dream that will stir my soul, a dream that will get me up in the morning. I pray that I will use my energies and resources to see this happen. I want to finish strong. Please pray for me and Trudy as we seek the Lord’s leadership on what the next chapter for TREC looks like. I can’t wait to share the dream He gives us.
TREC family, He is still working on me. I join with the Apostle Paul and ask this verse be true of me: “Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what I lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13,14)
Jeff McFarland
Jeff, Matt Mays, James Duke, and Jeff Benefield left a few days ago headed to India. They will spend a few days in Delhi with some friends then head to Siliguri to spend the rest of their time with Jiwan. Pray for them and their families as they are away.
We tell you over and over again how vitally important your work is in helping us reach the unreached, but we really can’t thank you enough. Your support and encouragement mean so much to us. If you pray, give, or go, YOU are a part of fulfilling the Great Commission. We need you more than ever to continue Teaching, Reaching, Equipping, and Comforting the lost and hurting for the sake of the Gospel. There is a lot to do and people need Jesus!
Thank you for TRECing with us,
Trudy
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