Dear Friends,

Early in August, ten aid workers who were providing medical care in remote parts of Afghanistan, were murdered because of their faith.  While their mission was humanitarian, and they were not overtly sharing their faith, those who murdered them knew that they represented the Christian aid organization, International Assistance Mission, and took their lives because of that affiliation.

As I said in the video, their lives and their sacrifice provide a sobering and yet encouraging reminder that what we do on earth really only matters in light of eternity.  

A leader of the team, optometrist Tom Little, 61, had been a life long missionary to Afghanistan.  He and his wife raised his three daughters in Kabul, and told friends that his girls knew the difference in the sound of an incoming versus an outgoing missile.  For more than thirty years, Little had done the daily tasks associated with the calling God gave him.  He learned the language, he cared for the people, he took care of eyes in the name of Jesus.

 

Jimmy Siebert, a pastor in Waco, TX and a friend of Mr. Little said, “Tom Little was a man who gave his life to the Afghan people out of his love for God. He literally did whatever it took to serve the people of Afghanistan. He met the practical needs of people’s lives.”

Another one of those killed was Cheryl Beckett, 32, from Ohio.  Her father is the pastor of Woodlawn Christian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.  In an interview with reporters, he said something so simple, yet so profound: “I think she had some fears, but her calling overcame her fears.”  

Both Beckett and Little were answering the call that Jesus gave them.  They were doing the work He placed on their hearts when they encountered danger and death.  They were no different than we are – no more brave, no more equipped, no more spiritual. 

Rev. Beckett’s statement about his daughter’s faith and fear causes me to ponder…What is my calling?  Do I trust the One Who calls me?  Am I willing to lay down my fears and pursue my calling?  

Today, I pray that you are confident in the One Who calls you and that your faith empowers your calling – whether the tasks involved seem mundane, significant, or even dangerous.

Blessings,

Ron