missions and physical appearance
today i met up with a friend whom i have not seen for a couple of years and immediately we exchanged our comments about the changes we saw in each other. i seemed to have changed a lot, according to her. yes, i think i have lost some weight (about 9 kg), my hair has grown longer, coloured too, etc.....
we talked next about what has been occupying us - the usual "stuff" - work, family, others. then about our future plans.
so i shared with her about my interest in mission work. straightaway i could see her eyes looking over my whole self again and she told me she did not expect me to have such plans. in her honesty, she told me she had never expected someone like me - who takes care of my physical appearances (hmm.......) - would even want to go and do this kind of work.
well, i did not really wished to spend time to try to continue the conversation explaining why - so i changed the subject and we happily chatted on other matters.
back home now i am thinking about the comment she made......
i have met several ladies who are serving in some mission fields. i have not asked them before but i think i would not be wrong to say that taking care of their physical appearance will be in their least priority list.
i know. it should be the last thing i would worry about if i am to take the work seriously.
however i have a few questions.
how should i take care of how i look? would i have to go around looking "sloppy"? overweight? dull? hair not combed properly? do i have to look old?
what would be "expected" of me? how should a lady serving in a mission field appear physically? i know i have to be "simply clad" for comfort to fit into the environment? for the purpose of the work?
funny thoughts came into my mind - maybe i would go for really short hair, and in time to come my skin colour would be very brown from the sun's effect - so it would be a completely different "me". wow, can you imagine me like this?
i think i can say i will not be afraid of hardship or what would become of me - i have gone through some struggles in my childhood and i have settled on my own in a new country - but i have to start to reduce and gradually stop "pampering" myself with the good things in life so that i am more prepared for a different kind of lifestyle in a mission field, wherever it is.
i know this is silly - can i ask god to be kind enough to let me serve in a "not-too-harsh" environment? ha ha ha!
pray - that these concerns will not steer me away from doing what i really want to do. these are just earthly concerns - looks is not everything (anyway i will not need to bother about you or any other guys anymore once i'm into the work) but god is and should always be my everything!
god in my living
there in my breathinggod in my waking, my sleeping, my resting
there in my workinggod in my thinking, my speaking
be my everythinggod in my hoping
there in my dreaminggod in my watching, my waiting, my laughing
there in my weepinggod in my hurting, my healing.....
christ in me
the hope of glory....you are everything....
....be my everything....
i pray for the day to come - eventually.....
