Choosing Here

I was recently reading a blog post from a Mama named Joy who lives in Indonesia as a missionary's wife. She was writing honestly about leaving lattes and fluffy down comforters to serve the Lord. She is committed to the fact that God has called her and this trust propels her to sacrifice creature comforts to answer her call.
 
While reading I was thinking about how often I wish God would call me far away, not because I don't love my people and my life, but because maybe I love it all too much. Sometimes I think if I lived in a 'harder' place, free from cushy comforts, girl drama and J.Crew catalogs it would be easier to serve Him. I start the whole "I could be a better Christian if..." game. I start feeling like the distractions are just too much for me to handle and what I really need to be more spiritual is to trade my cozy bed for itchy blankets.

But as I was thinking about it all this one recent morning I was reminded that it is JUST AS IMPORTANT for me to choose here as it is for Joy to choose Indonesia. This is my story, written by God, in this setting, with this cast in this time period, under these conditions. God has chosen you for your place, with its challenges too. THIS is our mission field. It looks different than hers--and it has tradeoffs. Instead of mosquitos and stinky sewers I get rampant divorces, facebook and schoolyard pecking orders.

The circumstances look different, but the bottomline is the same...there are people all around me who need God's grace and my love. Even though first world problems are annoying, first world souls need Jesus just as much as third world ones do.

Source: shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So, this day, I am going to choose HERE. 
I am going to believe God when He says He is Sovereign, 
that my days have been written in His book before one came to be and 
He has a purpose in it all--even the pain. 

And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there.  I Corinthians 7:17a (The Message)
 
I am choosing here.