What do I know

I don’t carry conversations very well about cars, I couldn’t tell you the difference between a ‘67 or a ‘68 Mustang. I’ve heard that it has something to do with a side grill piece but I don’t remember for sure.

I don’t know much about politics, I couldn’t tell you who the Green, Free or Liberty party candidates were this last run. Don’t ask me the difference between the House of Representatives or the Congress. I know who our president is but I don’t follow much after that.

The sports category I fail on as well. Get me on the field and I can play, but don’t ask me what March Madness is or who’s going to be in the Rose Bowl this year. I don’t know anything about ESPN or SportsCenter except their commercials are sometimes funny.

There have been multiple times when I’ve felt that I should know about all these things; seeing guys stand around and talk all up and down about what year was better for certain players or how one car was a predecessor to some other model. A man on the side of the road in Kenya began talking to me about the perils the world is in because of my presidents’ bad decisions. I had no answers. Is that bad?

Should I be slightly concerned that I don’t know anything about the impending Super Bowl? Should I be more thorough in knowing my Mayor or what he does? Should I spend more time reading what the ballot measures are before voting ABACADABA all the way down?

I feel strangely out of place when the guys start throwing words around like catalytic converter, alternator, fuel injection or someone’s voting record. I kind of glaze over when people start rolling names of players around; you would think they had dinner with them every night.

I suppose there’s nothing wrong with people talking about all this stuff; maybe I’m the one who should know more about it. It’s good that we engage in conversations about things we like and things that matter, maybe I’m the one that needs to read and know more. I mean seriously, what do I know?

What I do know.
I know that there are still millions of students around the world who’ve never been told of a creator who cares or a master designer who crafted their bodies with precision beyond imagination. I know that there are still countries and people groups with no Christians, no witness, no one to tell them that the best life to come is the one we find in Him. There are still people who are crying out to know the promise we’ve found and why we have no need to fear death.

Someone once said “Why should people have the chance to hear the gospel twice when some people haven’t heard it once?” True, and how can I even think that I should stop working when I know there are some who haven’t had that chance to hear it once?

What is it that consumes so much of our time that we don’t live for God more? What can be so important in this life that we don’t take the time to live for the next? What part of our conversations center around Him? How can we live differently? There are hurting people asking questions that are going unanswered, unaddressed and avoided because I’m too concerned about things in my world. We have the answers and for some reason a God in heaven has chosen us to be a part of this awesome work.

Tonight, standing in front of a small Romanian church I will try and convince them the importance of children’s ministries and reaching their world with God’s message of true life. I will share with them knowledge and what I know from my experiences as a Book of Hope missionary. Hopefully they will see past all the things I know in my mind, and instead see all the things I hold in my heart for the children of their country.

What will the next two, five or ten years hold for my life? I really don’t know, whether I continue at Book of Hope for another two years or not isn’t important right now. What will the next two, five or ten minutes hold for me? I don’t really know that either. But I am looking forward to the day when He puts His hand on my shoulder and looks at me and says “Well done”. That I do know.

Side note: This message isn’t meant to tear down or rip on people who enjoy talking about all the things mentioned here. This is just an observation I’ve made about the things I talk about or don’t talk and about and how I spend my time… and go Seahawks.