Called to Suffer?

If you've read almost any other post on this blog, or you've known our family for more than five minutes, you know our prayer card photo (below) is a fake. It's as counterfeit as a three dollar bill. No, we didn't superimpose someone's head on another body or whiten anyone's teeth, but we might as well have, it's that phony.

Yes, the dog usually looks that calm and collected, but the rest of us are another story. Why did we do it, you might ask. What made us tickle our moody tween for an hour in the hot sun to get the perfect "natural" smile? Because no one wants to look at our real mugs on their refrigerator every time they go to get the milk.

Note my cheesy "See, we're holding it all together" grin.

 And maybe, just maybe, because I buy into the lie a little too.

The myth we might not say out loud, but far too many of us believe, that if we live in the middle of God's will we will have smooth sailing. The idea that if we follow God's call on our lives everything will go swell, be comfortable, we'll feel at peace, and although we might not let the thought solidify, back there somewhere in the depths of our subconscious we just might expect life to be easy. I mean the Bible says so, right?

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4

"Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it." 

-1 Peter 3:9

In Luke 6 it basically tells us however much we pour out will be poured back into us.

This year, Christian Veterinary Mission has been studying the theme "Called" with a focus on Ephesians 4:1, "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."

This past month, I've traveled to Orlando, FL, Baton Rouge, LA, and Raleigh, NC sharing how God's "called" me. First and foremost, He's called me His child.

"See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, 
and that is what we are!" -1 John 3:1

And from that place of security I've felt called to share His love. I've sensed a calling to the veterinary profession, since I was six years-old. After realizing that dream, I felt the Lord lead me with clarity to help launch Mosaic Christian Church, so I picked up and moved to Baltimore. A more slow to develop, subtle push also came from God in the area of missions. Through several short-term trips, many Perspectives classes, and a number of people, He started to awaken in me an understanding of His path for me toward longer term service overseas, so I moved to Bolivia.

But each of those "callings" was a whisper from an almost inaudible voice in comparison to the one I heard so clearly in the way we can most reliably hear from God, His written Word.

Just as Christians cannot deny we are all called to share our knowledge of Christ with others, to be generous, and to love our neighbors, because God's plainly asked us to through the Bible, I also saw Him clearly say to take care of the least of these.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans," 
-James 1:27

"Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan," 

-Isaiah 1:17

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it," 
-Proverbs 3:27

All this I read as the child I was sponsoring at an orphanage in Bolivia was becoming legally adoptable. And when I questioned in my head, "who will be her family?" without even forming it into a prayer, I heard the most distinct answer of my life, "Why not you?"

Three simple words that moved me to the most life-changing calling of all; motherhood. I have often been so grateful for Jesus' response in the shape of a question as He commonly answered others, because it has become my rock when I've doubted this calling, my reminder that this is from God, not man.

And I've doubted often. Because, well, God kind of messed it up. You see, He very clearly called me to bring this child into my family, He worked out all the details along the way to make her a Spears and now a Charles, but one thing He forgot, one very important thing, He must have gotten distracted, or busy with calling others, because He neglected to make it easy. Three years in and it's still not comfortable. I'm starting to wonder if it will ever be smooth sailing...

And so the shaky foundation we loosely base our lives around, that all will go effortlessly for those in His will, crumbles. The lie we would recognize as such if we said it aloud, is shattered by reality and by the truth that He never meant for life to be painless even for those following Him most closely, especially for them.

"For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps." -1 Peter 2:21

After all, when we look back at the scripture where we started: 

"Therefore, I a prisoner for serving the Lord, urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." -Ephesians 4:1 

We see that its author, Paul, was writing from prison, because he was following Christ's very real call on the road to Damascus, to serve the Lord. Paul was not alone. I've seen real people all around me suffer not in spite of their calling, but because of it. Haven't you?

So, I began to wonder why. Wouldn't people be more effective at serving Christ if their calling wasn't a burden? Wouldn't more people be willing to follow God's leading with abandon if it truly were easy? What purpose does it serve Him to weigh us down with tasks that overwhelm us?

Maybe it's because only when things are too much for us do we remember our greatest calling, our identity as His children. Adults don't need their parents, children do. When do we rely on God more, talk to Him the most, find ourselves on our knees more than when we're in over our heads. When the ministry He gives us is too big for us, we have to give it back to Him and recognize our place. I've heard it said that God won't call you to something you can't handle. I disagree, God will call you specifically to tasks that are far too much for you, because then the glory goes where it belongs, back to Him.

If our daughter Angie, with her abusive broken past and numerous families, stays off the streets, stays out of prison, graduates college, or even high school, gets a job, has a stable family, and changes the world for God's kingdom, everyone will know it wasn't anything we did, because this calling is way too big for us. This plan of His is so far above our heads and out of our reach, that we can't possibly receive any of the credit. God will get all the glory. Just as God stripped Gideon's army down to 300 men, to prove that He was fighting the battle, He strips us down to our knees as well.

In my never-ending search to make life easier, I think that maybe if I reflect all the glory to God even in the good times, if I constantly communicate with Him whether I feel that I need Him in the moment or not, maybe He'll let me sail smoothly. But then I'm reminded of Jesus. The one who never strayed from His Father's call, who used every occasion to credit God for everything, and who maintained a perfect communion with the Lord at all times. Yet, Jesus suffered. He was called to suffer, and we are called to follow in His steps. It might not always be happy, and easy, and fun, but God can always turn our pain for good.

"So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do." 
-2 Thessalonians 1:11