The Illusion of Something Better- Expectations vs Reality

I’ve been in the ministry for over 14 years now and I love serving Jesus. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Up until this point all of my time in the ministry has been in the local church though. It’s been great. There have always been challenges and struggles but I’ve loved what I’ve done. So, when God called me and the family to go to the mission field we were so excited. Something new, something fresh, something different. I can remember all the things I thought the mission field in Brazil was going to be like. I mean, I had already been on several trips to Brazil (6 times) over the last 3 years and had ministered in several churches, schools and orphanages on each trip. I “knew” what it was going to be like. Here’s my list of my expectations and the reality of how things really are:

Expectation

• It was going to be spiritual euphoria every day because I was doing “God’s work” on the foreign mission field.

Reality

• It’s spiritual alright... there’s so much “spiritual” stuff going on and it’s a daily battle. Some days it feels like all Hell has been unleashed against us. You can literally feel the warfare going on in the spiritual realm. I know that sounds hooky-spooky to some of you but it’s the real deal here.

Expectation

• All the Brazilian people were going to be glad that we were here... kinda like having a family of christian superheroes in town or something.

Reality

• All the Brazilian people are NOT happy that we’re here. A lot of them are very suspect

  of us and are wondering what we’re doing coming to their country. And we’re definitely

  not super-christians... just a normal family that are following Jesus. I realize that.

  Lord, forgive me for being so prideful.

Expectation

• Our family was going to be closer because we were going to be together all the time.

Reality

• Our family is one step away from killing each other because we’re together all the

  time.

Expectation

• Our marriage was going to be awesomer (it was already awesome, and yes I realize

  awesomer isn’t a word) because we were going to be together all the time.

Reality

• As awesome as I am and as much fun as I am to be around, our marriage isn’t

  awesomer (again, I know it’s not a real word) and there’s been some “intense times

  of fellowship” because MJ isn’t use to me being around so much. The mission field

  definitely puts a strain on your relationship.

Expectation

• Our quality of life, in general, was going to be better because we weren’t going to have all the distractions that we had in the States (i.e. a million channels on TV, instant internet access everywhere, cell phones, shopping, the hectic pace of the U.S., etc.) so we were going to be able to be more focused on what’s really important.

Reality

• Our quality of life (if you can even call it that) is extremely challenging! We’re stranded,

  we’re being eaten alive by insects, we have no contact with the outside world unless

  we travel down the mountain to the truck stop, and the culture is very difficult to

  acclimate to because this isn’t the U.S. and they do pretty much everything different!

Expectation

• I was going to lose weight rapidly because there’s no preservatives in the food here and that’s the only reason I was fat in the U.S... you know, all the preservatives.

Reality

• I’m still fat. Even though there’s no preservatives in the food, I’m still fat. I’m sure it has

  nothing to do with the fact that I’m 46, I don’t exercise and I eat a lot.

Expectation

• Basically, it was going to be one step away from Heaven

Reality

• Basically we’re one step away from Hell (well, at least it feels like it most days)

Have you ever done that? Have you ever had a picture of how something was going to be in your mind, only to find out it wasn’t that way at all? Have you ever said, “if I could just have a different job, or live in a different city, or if I just had a new_________ I know my life would be better... have you ever done that? If you have, you’ve probably found out that reality doesn’t usually measure-up to your expectations. You know why? There’s always one thing that’s the same... “You’re Still There!” The one common denominator is that you’re still in the equation. No matter where you go, what you do or what new thing you get... at the end of the day “you are still there.”

All the things I thought would be better here aren’t and all the things I thought would be easier here aren’t. It’s crazy. But you think I’d learn (I’m slow on the up-take most of the time) that the only thing that never changes, the only thing that brings true happiness, and the only thing that we can really rely on is God. Everything else will fall short of our expectations and will eventually let us down. Whether it’s a new job, a new town, a new relationship, a new car, a new school, a new _______... everything that seems like it’s gonna make things better won’t. Now some things WILL temporarily makes things seem better but eventually it won’t anymore either so then we’ll want something newer (case in point: the i-phone 4S... even though the i-phone 5 will probably be on the shelves within a couple months. ha!). Everything except for Jesus and the things of God will fall short. He will never disappoint. NEVER. I don’t know about you but I’m tired of chasing illusions and for the next ________ to fulfill me. Jesus is the only thing that truly fulfills what we’re in the constant search for and being where He is, is the only place to be if we want “true” contentment.

Are you there right now? I mean, where He is? If you’re following Jesus then you’ll be where true joy and fulfillment is. So what are you chasing? Because everything else is just an illusion.

Facing Reality Head On,

JIm

*** The pictures at the top are just some random photos. The baby with MJ is our caretaker’s great grandchild, the kids are swimming in the pond on our property, Diogo and Marlon looking at the camping site at the camp and MJ walking home with some of the kids.