” Some years ago, some missionaries I had sent to the mission field began complaining about various things. They would call one another and gossip about how they were not being treated fairly. Through no fault of the Missions Office, one of them was separated from his wife and felt that his wife’s trip to join him was being unduly delayed.
Another missionary complained about the routing of his wife’s flight. Other missionaries joined in and became equally discontented about other issues. Different little issues became mountains of fodder for discussion.
After a while, the spirit of discontentment, murmuring and grumbling was rife amongst this team of missionaries.
I remember a meeting I had with them. They all seemed different from the people I had known. I wondered how they had become so forgetful so soon.
These young men had forgotten how I had helped them to come into ministry.
They had forgotten how I had flown them into international cities and set them up to start churches.
They had forgotten that they had never had to rent a house since they finished school.
They had forgotten that their daily bread was guaranteed, whether the church they pastored made enough money or not.
They had forgotten that cars were handed over to them on a silver platter.
They never needed to know the price of a car.
They had forgotten the times of fellowship and love I had had with them.
They had forgotten how I had visited them in their homes and become close to them.
They had forgotten my involvement in their personal lives.
They had forgotten how I would sit, chat and fellowship with them.
They had forgotten how I had helped them to choose marriage partners.
They had forgotten how I had encouraged and guided them in the ministry when they were in university.
“They had forgotten how I helped them to have their weddings.
They had forgotten how I sent them on honeymoons and paid for everything.
They had forgotten that they did not need to know the price of a plane ticket – it was just bought for them.
They had forgotten how privileged they were to have been sent to countries they had never known.
As I sat at the meeting, I realized that my young missionaries had forgotten too many things too soon. They had become grumpy, disgruntled and discontented with the ministry and with me. It was as though another spirit had taken over their lives.”
I held on for as long as I could but I had to dismiss them from the mission field and from full-time ministry.
It was a painful and very difficult decision but there was no way out. I had no choice but to take the decision to dismiss them. These were beloved sons of mine and I knew that what I was doing would change their lives drastically.
These soldiers would not be a part of what I was doing and I would march on without them.
Forgetting had cost them too much. May you not forget what the Lord has done in your life!”
Excerpt From: Dag Heward-Mills. “THOSE WHO FORGET
.” Parchment House Publishers, 2011-06-16T00:00:00+00:00. iBooks.