Thoughts on life's experiences and God's nature by Robby Hyche…

Other worlds, other cultures, and other foods fascinate me.  Where does this come from?  Why am I not usually afraid of trying new things?  I have always bought into the mantra, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  A few years ago I was traveling in Mexico and went to eat with some folks in Mexico City.  They brought out some dip and said “Try it.”  They grinned and would not tell me what it was.  Finally, one of them admitted it was worms.  “But these are farm-raised worms,” they explained.  “Of course, well, that makes all the difference!”  I took a tortilla chip and dipped some worms.  They tasted a bit like re-fried beans.  I was never convinced it was not re-fried beans: they insisted it was worms.  That’s nothing, however.  Chris Chambers has tried some very strange things!  Andrew Zimmern has nothing on him!

How does a person develop such an appetite?  I wonder if Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings had anything to do with it?  I read both of these as a child and can still remember traveling vicariously into these unknown regions of the universe.  They cast a spell on me from which I guess I will never recover.  Parents, this is a lesson to us on what we should allow our children to read or watch!

A few weeks ago someone asked me why foreign mission work was so important to me.  “Have you ever thought about being a missionary?” he asked.  “Sure, but for whatever reason God doesn’t want me there.”  Part of this fuel for “other worlds” comes from this passion to see the gospel permeate our world.

From the time I was a child, far away places and people have fascinated me.  People have always made fun of the old slides that missionaries would show at mission conferences, but I thought it was awesome.  Sure the technology was lacking and it seemed tacky, I guess, to have someone go on and on about people and places you don’t know.  But it fascinated me.

Eventually, I married a girl with this same penchant for “other worlds.”  After we married, we began the adoption process and we naturally drifted toward International adoption.  I wonder if my desire to see missionary work done in the “foreign” field has anything to do with our adopting two children from Russia?  Perhaps, because once you make friends in a place, you naturally want them to believe in Jesus like you do.

Two more of my favorite books growing up were Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island.  Both of these books speak of adventure, failed dreams, and new worlds.  They detail the human condition in a remarkable way and paint a clear picture of what happens to people without God.  The characters start out with great ambitions but greed poisons the tales.  There is a sense of the absence of God and a need for redemption in both of these.

Another book which fascinates me is Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.  At one important point in the book, Professor Aronnax encourages Captain Nemo to reveal his technology and discoveries to the world to aid the advancement of the world.  Aronnax speaks of new continents to be discovered and new worlds to be found.  But Nemo responds coldly, “The earth doesn’t need new continents, but new men!”

Ah, there it is: new men.  Why do I want to see missions go out into the world?  We know about all the continents.  We can watch the Discovery Channel; we can travel with ease and taste new foods at will.  But with all our ability to see new places and develop international trade, we cannot create new men.  That alone is the work of God.  Each time a person comes to Christ, a new world is discovered. 

What do we mean by taking on the Thailand Trip (AGM meeting), conducting a building campaign (What if…), going on a Youth Trip (Experience), and asking for money for Annie Armstrong (for North American Missions)?  How can we possibly do this at this time and all at once?!  These God-sized endeavors require us to be on our knees.  It means we need to be motivated to give what it takes to do it.  And it means that we are more-than-ever committed to the prospect of not finding a new place or a new building, but finding more people so that Jesus can make new men, women, girls, and boys.

We probably know 2 Corinthians 5:17 well: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  But do you know the rest of the chapter (vv18-21)?   

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God gave the ministry and message of reconciling people back to Himself to us.  God wants us to take the Gospel to other worlds where God wants to build new men.  Those other worlds begin with our world – Trussville.  That explains my preoccupation with missions, building campaigns, and…other worlds.

 Everyone lives a story.  We’re born or adopted into a family and life is different when this occurs.  Things change for everyone invovled.  This is a good thing and something that learn from and grow into.  God’s story is that he intends to redeem people and build his church.   This is traditionally called the Gospel.  God is calling each one of us into his story – into his narrative – so that his book and ours can have additional chapters added and so that our lives are complete.  Give yourself to his word and gospel and calling and you will find his story is remarkable.  Your story will become a novel and it will be an amazing read.

Your story has a definite beginning…you were born.  You were not hatched, made, or assembled.  Being born or adopted into a family has an impact both to you (duh) but also on the one to whom you were born.  Many times we think that once we have kids life can go on as it once did.  In a way it should.  Kids need to learn to adjust to our world and become a part of our family.  But there is also the sense that we change and become different because we have become parents.  Becoming a parent is wonderful thing, but as the attached story shows, parents are dreading their calling!  Take a look at the article Why men look for any excuse to get away.  

Today I heard a mom say that she and her husband were going to have a “serious” discussion with their 1st grader about school.  He was whining that he didn’t like school.  I don’t think there were any heavy problems with he, the teacher, or the school.  He just didn’t like it.  My first thought was “bless his little heart.”  But then she said, “he’s got 11 more years of school and he’ll have to just get used to it.”  Then it hit me, “Good for her!”  You go girl!  Make those kids grow up and take responsibility and do their job.  May her tribe increase.  Too many times as parents we just acquiese to our little “angels” and try to make life easy for them.  There’s time for that.  But most of the time we all have to just suck it up and get back to work.  Our kids need to learn that as soon as they can because the world they’re inheriting is not as nice as we are.

There are times I get tired and need to rest and yes bringing up kids is difficult, but honestly is going to the movies or a bar better than raising kids?  I don’t think so.  I understand we all need a break but parenting is supposed to change them and change us in the process.  Our problem today is that we want our cake and eat it too.  Raising decent human beings requires love, patience, grit, love, endurance, hard work, more love, little sleep, and … love.  I am afraid we’re becoming to lazy, selfish, and short-sighted to see the real rewards of parenting.

Don’t quit and don’t give up parents!  There is still hope for your kids.  Proverbs 19:18 – “Discipline your son while there is hope….”  and  Proverbs 13:24 – “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”