What if it is True?

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:18

Almost 20 years ago we were living in the USA and I was beginning to contemplate retirement. On one occasion we were listening to a sermon by our son Wade. He was preaching on Matthew 6:33. 

 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"

After he read the Scripture he paused and asked this question: "What if it is true?"

That simple question struck a blow to my heart. Almost immediately I realized that God had a lot more for me to do and the call on my life was not to do retirement planning but to seek what God wanted me to do in the next chapter of life. 

In a step of faith, but with the assurance that God was leading us, we left our business and home behind and took a position on the staff of a church in Kuwait. This was followed by a stint as pastor of a church in Thailand and finally to the leadership role at F4L.

The decision to leave everything comfortable behind and follow the Lord into new challenges has been a wilder ride than we could have imagined. We have experienced the amazing heights of excitement as we watched God do some amazing things in the lives of new believers. We have participated in walking step by step with some of those new believers as they learned how to be disciples and some have become disciple-makers. We have met and ministered alongside some of the most amazing servants of God. We have also experienced great loss and hardship. The hardship was greater than anything we had ever previously experienced. I don't want to face anything like that again. Amazingly, we would not change anything we went through for what we learned about God and His ability to provide for us. We can say unequivocally that God's words in Matthew 6:33 are true,  

I am now much older and grayer (at least I think I would be gray if I had any hair) and it is time to pass the leadership of F4L to a younger person. 

The Scripture from Psalm 71 still rings in my ears. I am now asking how God will use me to declare Him to the next generation without the platform I have at F4L. Based on past experience, the plan He has for me to be a disciple who makes disciples across the street and around the world is still valid. I am ready for whatever His plan is because I know it is the best option for me.