That Glorious Quest

I've been listening to the Musical, "Man of La Mancha." The Impossible Dream song has grabbed my attention. I think it is a wonderful summary of what many of us hope for with our lives. May we discern and be true to our quest whether it be in our home, office, church, neighborhood, overseas, or wherever.

To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...
To right ... the unrightable wrong ...
To love ... pure and chaste from afar ...
To try ... when your arms are too weary ...
To reach ... the unreachable star ...

This is my quest, to follow that star ...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...
To fight for the right, without question or pause ...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause ...

And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest ...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man (and woman), scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his (and her) last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...

Been Traveling

I've just returned from traveling about 30 hours by plane and train during a two week period. Those 30 travel hours have taken me to Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands and Belgium. I made this trip as a part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Global Missions Office, Member Care ministry. The Fellowship is, among other endeavors, a mission-sending organization of moderate Baptists--moderate, as in no creed to sign and the freedom to follow God as a person senses God's leading. My travels, therefore, were to visit five families who are accomplishing amazing ministry among some of the most neglected people of the world, the gypsies and international refugees. My task is to support, encourage, pray for, assist with resources, etc. I am quick to acknowledge that these families bless me far more than I assist them. This Member Care ministry has been a life-long calling, although I didn't know it for most of my life. As a teenager, I made the public commitment to become a missionary, if that was what God desired. Evidently, that wasn't what God and I worked out together over these many years. However, now that sense of missions is being fulfilled in a way that didn't even exist when I was a youth. Deo gratis.

Packing as discernment

It is time to do the laundry in anticipation of packing. I'm leaving Tuesday for a two week visit with five missionary family friends who live in five European countries. Packing is a test of discernment for me. I get stuck with thinking I need to pack everything that I imagine I might need and, then remembering that, if necessary, I can purchase things in other countries. Therefore, my initial tendency is to pack too much. Perhaps, it is because I get confused trying to determine what is really necessary and what is not necessary. My imagination gets in the way. I imagine more possibilities than have ever happened and, therefore, I tend to pack too much. I've traveled a great deal and you would think I have this packing down to a fine art. An ole proverb says to lay out what you think you need and then put half of it back in the closet or chest-of-drawers. I think I'll try that--if it doesn't make me too anxious.