Are You Crazy!?

Currently, I work in a childcare center with toddlers full-time; my ongoing goal is to find a way to communicate God’s love to them in a way that they can understand. That’s often through singing songs, reading stories, and playing pretend. The other day, we were singing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, and at the end of the song we were talking about how BIG God’s hands must be if he can hold the WHOLE world! And to that, one of my little ones held out her hands and responded, “my hands are really little.”
 
Dan and I frequently have people ask us WHY we would give away all our possessions, move away from all our friends and family, and leave all the comforts of America. Why would you move to a country that you’ve never been to, to work in a culture (Deaf culture) that’s foreign to you, within another foreign culture (Romanian), neither of which you know the language? People tell us that we’ve got to be crazy, or that they think we’re really adventurous.

Well, we’ve got to tell you, we aren’t doing it for the excitement; neither of us have ever been very adventurous. We’d be completely content to stay in the same small town for the rest of our lives.

But here’s the thing: we’re Christians. And when we became Christians we COMPLETELY gave our lives over to Jesus. We didn’t say, “Jesus, we’ll follow you as long as you make sure nothing ever goes wrong in our lives and we always have a roof over our heads.” And we also didn’t say, “Jesus, we’ll follow you only as long as we always feel confident and comfortable with the people we’re around.” We knew that when we chose to follow Christ that meant WHATEVER the cost, WHEREVER he directs us, and WHOEVER he directs us to, we are expected to obey. Most often, when the toddlers I’m caring for need to obey me, it’s not because they think what I’m telling them is a great idea.

So people think we’re crazy. But it’s because we’re crazy in love with the God who made us, knows us, and loves us. And we’re confident that he loves us to a depth that’s even deeper than we could even imagine.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” And in Matthew 10:37-39 he says, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Jesus called us to Romania to work in sign language Bible translation, and we’re excited about it! We’re excited because we are completely confident in God’s sovereignty and his everlasting love, and we have no doubt that he’s calling us there.

We honestly do not know what the future holds, but we know that God’s hands are REALLY big, and REALLY strong. Our hands are not big enough to hold the future, the world, or even our own problems. But Jesus’ love is deeper than our understanding, and wider than the Enemy’s reach. We are delighted to obey Him!