Dangerous Milestones

Yesterday was a milestone day in my life as a father.  My daughter, Chelsea, was accepted as a participant in the World Race, an 11-month, 11-country, missions adventure that ministers to "the least of these" in some of the worst conditions in the world.  Their website says, "Participants live out of a backpack, survive on a limited budget, and find themselves in situations where faith is the only reality to choose from. In partnering with existing missionaries and ministries, World Racers develop relationships with the “least of these”, and through acts of service see communities and nations transformed all over the world."  This has become the driving passion of Chelsea's life ever since she decided to give the Lord four months of her life after graduating from BBC.  It has been a blessing to me to see God working in my daughter's heart in such a real and dynamic way, but last night another realization began to hit me.  She is offering her very life to the Lord and, in a very real way, putting herself  "in harm's way" to pull others "from the fire."   I heard a quote from an unknown source that said, "If we are going to send our children into the dark places of the world, then we must have a theology that is deep enough to sustain them as they go and us as we send them."  Chelsea has determined that the God that she serves is sufficient to sustain her wherever He wants to take her.  And her mother and I are convinced that His Word will sustain us as she goes.
I am reminded of the story of Adoniram Judson, America's pioneer missionary, who spent 40 years in India and Burma.  Upon preparing to leave, he wrote a letter to the father of Ann "Nancy" Hazeltine, the woman he loved, asking for her hand in marriage.  Here is what he wrote:
"I have now to ask, whether you can condescend to part with your daughter early next Spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want & distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps even a violent death."
What a romantic devil! Not exactly the best approach to take when presenting yourself as a potential husband.  So what did he say that convinced Mr. Hazeltine to consent to give his daughter to marry a man expecting such dire conditions of life?  The letter continues:
"Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly throne, and died for her and for you; for the sake of the perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from the heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"
Am I concerned for Chelsea's safety as she sets off on the pursuit of her life's calling? Well, yes and no.  I know that some of the places that she will be going are fraught with danger, but I also know that the safest place in the world is the center of God's will for your life.  Before she ever applied to be a part of the World Race, Chelsea spent months seeking to know God's will.  He has shown her in several distinct ways that this is it.  So she is ready to face whatever she will have to face.  And Shelley and I gave her to the Lord a long time ago, so there is nothing more gratifying than to see God choosing to use her in amazing ways.
Oh, by the way, most of the predictions that Judson made in his letter came true.  But God used him to leave a legacy of 100 churches and 8,000 believers in a place that was once one of the darkest corners of the world.  As Chelsea follows the Lord into the dark well, I am committed to stay here and hold the rope.
I read a quote recently that said, "We should not fear failure, we should fear succeeding at something in life that doesn't really matter."  Chelsea is about to embark on something that matters for eternity, and with God leading and empowering, she can't help but make a difference.
If you would like to keep up with Chelsea's preparations and the things that God is doing in her life, you can follow her blog at chels4china.blogspot.com.