Missionary-In-Training Days

Life is about how you look at things. I’ve decided not to have Jonah days. I have missionary-in-training days. J

I know that as a missionary one day, I will need a whole lot of flexibility. Many problems will come up that need immediate attention, and I will have to let go of other things.

So I’ve decided to try practicing that outlook now! There have been many days that have tested that!

One day, Ben and I drove my Uncle to a meeting in town and ran a few errands. We pulled up to McAlister’s Deli for lunch. As I stepped out of the car, I noticed a huge bald spot on my tire. I quickly called my Dad after we ordered our food. He recommended carefully driving to Sam’s Club just up the road and immediately buying new tires. That took a couple of extra hours out of the afternoon, but there were many positives. One of those was the fact that my Uncle was there with his credit card and could purchase the tires for me (we paid him back of course. J)

Just this week, I had another opportunity to practice my missionary-in-training attitude. My Grandparents have been staying with my siblings and me while our parents celebrate their 25^th wedding anniversary in Italy. My poor Grandma ate some bad yogurt and was sick for about 8 days before we finally convinced her to get treated.

After talking with her doctor at home, he said she would most likely need a CT scan to diagnose what was going on. That could only be done at a hospital. So we headed to the ER after breakfast one morning.

I was behind on school work that week already, and had taken on a lot of extra work since my parents were gone. But when someone is sick, that takes priority! I dropped my grandparents off and then went to a café that had wifi so that I could study (knowing that they would spend several hours at the ER.)

As I sipped on sweet tea, I made a good dent in my school work. One o’clock rolled around and my grandparents still weren’t finished. I drove home to take Roma to piano lessons and Josiah for a haircut. When they were finished, I headed back towards the hospital. It was about 3 o’clock, and I still hadn’t eaten lunch. As I was ordering my soup, I got the call that my Grandma was being discharged.

I went to pick her up, and then we went to pick up her prescription. Unfortunately, the pharmacy is known for taking a long time. Long story short, we didn’t get home until almost 6 o’clock that evening.

While some might see those circumstances as inconveniences, I see them as opportunities to learn and serve. It stretches my flexibility and helps me prepare for a life of ministry!