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8/30

Welcome to day 8 of
30Days-30Pics: Defining Short-Term Missions.

No, this is not a picture of me writing with an LED-tipped pen, it’s a combo shout-out to a blogger-friend and indispensable habit for short-term missionaries.

Finding your Morning Table!

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Photo:

Some of the photos that I’m sharing in this series have been in my phone’s camera roll for some time now. This one, however, was taken today.  I was journaling through my Bible Study time at what I’ll call “the morning table”. I journal with a Waterman Hemisphere fountain pen and a Paperblanks journal. This morning while writing, the sun coming through the window kept glinting off the tip of the pen, catching my eye.

I wanted to capture the moment because it reminded me of my blogger friend Michele who writes from a delightful little Rabbit Patch in the southern USA. She writes often about quiet moments spent sipping coffee and writing at her morning table.

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There are few luxuries when serving in short-term missions, but this particular luxury dates back several years when I purchased a Waterman Hemisphere pen off of eBay. A friend had given me a Waterman back in the 1990’s but after nearly 20 years, it went missing and I needed to replace it. When combined with a Paperblanks journal, it’s my favorite way to write. Whereas computer writing is for the masses… Paperblank writing is just for me.

This morning I began going through Hebrews again. I’ve heard messages preached from Hebrews, I’ve read it and have read commentaries on it, but today, I went back to it again.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…”
Hebrews 1.1-2

(I know it takes a bit more work to understand King James’ English….
but words can be rich and beautiful)

Hebrews goes on to detail “superiority” and “greater perfection” … How Jesus, the great high priest is superior to the high priests of the Old Testament and how the covenant he established was more perfect than that of the former.

He still wants to speak to us.

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Short-Term Missionaries read and study the Bible to prepare courses, Bible Studies or sermons… but we also need to study God’s word in order to help US be established… well rooted… ready to face the day.  It’s not new, but the Lord reminded me of it again recently.

Busyness and activity come knocking on our door very early and the temptation far too often is to jump into the day and get done what needs to get done – It. is. so. easy.

By definition, short-term missions is a time of busyness: there are people to meet, places to go and things to do… all packed into a relatively short time. Some days, those things all flow together very smoothly. I’ve discovered, however, that even if they don’t, my spirit can remain calm and un-panicked in the face of it… when I’ve spent quiet moments at a morning table.

Short-term missions is not just about your activity… it’s about preparing well for that activity. Such preparation will not only enrich your own walk with God but will help you be more effective as an STMer.

God bless you as you increase your Short-Term Missions effectiveness… at a Morning Table.

 

 

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