As we seek for God to be at work in the
world, we can reflect on what it means to be invited into God’s work. God is
also calling us to be sent ones, to make an impact that tells of his Kingdom,
salvation and character. Just as Isaiah replied “Here am I. Send me” (Isaiah
6:8), we must also decide on what our answer will be, and what impact we might
make in partnership with God and others.
To what, where or who is God calling and
inviting me to partner with him?
What part do I hope to play in God’s
transformation of people (and the world!)?
Do I feel particularly called to a
particular ministry, community or workplace? How do you hope God will use me in
this area?
How do I feel about the ministry God is
calling me to? Excited? Daunted? Prepared?
What kind of legacy of faith do I hope to
leave? If someone was to describe the impact that I have made for God’s kingdom
what do I hope they would say?
“Many people have never taken the time to
step back and intentionally look back at our entire life, seeking to identify
an overarching theme or identify lessons that God had continually been trying
to teach us.”[1]
I believe that God often calls people
through visions and recurring motifs. For me, this included motifs of the ship,
the wind, the orphan, the heart, the fruits, the eagle and the bride.
When I was a new Christian, I was
especially inspired by the verse on the fruits of the Spirit. In the months
before Chris became one of my housemates, the motif of “the fruits” predominated.
During my first few years in the work force,
the motif of “the orphan” vs “the heart of flesh” predominated, as I began to shift
from being task and goal-orientated to being more relationship-orientated.
“Eagles and flying” is another motif that
comes up from time to time. Various people I know have likened me to an eagle:
not restricted by groundly borders as I have flown across so many places, and
highly independent. Personally, I feel especially inspired by scriptural verses
with eagles in it. Birds are my favourite animals and I enjoy the idea of
flying so much that I always go for the roller coasters, drop towers and
pendulum rides in amusement parks.
Whilst studying in the theological college
and doing some field education in the church, there has been several years
where “the ship” has been a frequently recurring motif. After all, ships are commonly
used as a metaphor for the church.
Then, ever since preaching my first sermon
in the church on Ezekiel 37:1-14, the Valley of Dry Bones, the wind has become the dominant motif.
As the bride of Chris, “the bride” has also
become another dominant motif lately.
Looking back on the wedding, it was a
particularly windy on the day Chris and I got married. Some of Chris’
colleagues started laughing about Chris and this wind because his job is “tunnel ventilation” engineering: ie. his job is to create wind artificially! Between the wedding and the reception, we went to
a few places that has special meanings for us for photoshoots. One of the places we went to was the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the first place I have worked
in as a doctor. We decided to take some photos at the new murals. I did not
even look to see what was drawn on the wall. Interestingly, a month later, when
our photographer Alex sent us the photos he took, the pictures reminded me of
the visions from the Valley of Dry Bones! It seems as though God is speaking to us through the murals!
My job involves trying to restore people to
health and wellbeing where possible, sometimes even making certain decisions
that impacts the life and death of a person.
The question now is how can God use us to
make a spiritual impact on others?
Eventually, Chris and I will be doing this
together as a team. However, he is not quite “ready” currently, so I can only
speak on my own behalf for now. I long for the wind that is the “ruah” or the Spirit.
I long for the restoration of life that will last to eternity.
The calling to remain in the medical field
is clear. This was the conviction I had when I listened to George Verwer’s
message a few years ago:
So is the calling for missions.
If you combine these together, the term “medical
missionary” comes up. However, we are waiting on God’s reply as to “who, what,
when, where, and how.”
Meanwhile, we are to remain faithful in the
current position God has placed us in as we wait on Him.
