If I Had a Million Dollars

Everytime I drive by the local Texas Lottery Billboard I secretly hope that the winner of the jackpot has a heart for Bible Translation. Then I play this game where I think about what I would do with the money if somehow I mysteriously won 126 million dollars.

I'm not sure which check I would write first, but I know I would love to sit down with all of my missionary friends and co-laborers in the gospel of Jesus Christ and ask them, "so, what could you use to expand God's Kingdom?"

I would love to be able to tell potential recruits, "Raise support? Of course not, we got you covered." I would love to pass word to our friends around the world that their training centers, clean water projects and food distribution centers should be expecting a huge contribution in the next couple of days. Wow! Wouldn't that be fun?

I would love to tell my friends who are church planting that they don't have to solicit funds anymore. I would love to tell my friends who are gifted writers that I will sponser them in their upcoming writing projects. I would love to tell the Nationals in Papua New Guinea, Africa, Siberia, Ukraine and South East Asia that Bible Translators are on the way and that they just have to finish up their training and then they can have the Word of God.

I don't know why God has decided to make it so hard on his faithful servants. One of the things that hurts my heart the most is when I hear how my friends are struggling to fund their dreams. Deep down I know it builds trust, faith and dependence on God. But isn't there an easier way?

On the flip-side, I wouldn't trade our struggles in support raising for anything in the world. Sure there were times when I was so down that I would have rather woken up to find my head stapled to the carpet than make one more phone call. Yes, the Mrs. Midwestern Monk and I still don't know how our finances work...but I absolutely love to see and hear how God is at work. As much as I hate the struggles I see my freinds and I go through, I absolutely love those moments when God shows up and does something so incredible that only He can do. WoW!

I'm sure one day we'll find out the reason why the Lord made service so difficult..or maybe we'll find out that the resources were there all along...and we just failed to ask.