Confidence

::mood::blissful pain of beautiful broken memories
::music::The Point of No Return, from the Original Cast Recording [Remastered] of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (disc 2)

I heard the story of a man today. I only began to pay attention later on in the story. So, the beginning details are somewhat murky.

Our story takes place in Hong Kong, China. The man in question began his life on somewhat rocky ground. In trouble with the law, he ended up in prison on several occasions. But on his last term spent there, he was exposed to the ministry of a group who brought the good news of the gospel, and sought to help men such as himself to begin a new start in life.

He listened to them; and accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour. He left prison a new man; and sought to turn his life in a new direction. He began working with the very ministry who helped to rescue him; but he soon realized that this was not enough. He wanted to do more.

Every day, working with this ministry, he saw broken men and women, lives torn apart by the vices of crime, hate, abuse...

The one thing stood out to him was this: He was too late! The help he was able to offer these people as this point was necessary, yes, but he was only reparing damage that could easily be prevented! So many people he came in contact with were just like himself: early influences in their lives shaped them and gave them cause to turn to the drugs, gangs, and violence. But why not begin a new ministry? Why not begin to turn attention to the young people who were headed down this very road, and give them the help, direction, and encouragement necessary to prevent all this pain and social disfunction, not to mention spiritual wandering?

And the idea was born to do just that: he decided to start up a new ministry to focus on the youth of his city.

Which brings me to the clincher. He began exploring the possibility of starting just such a ministry. He discussed it with many respected members of the community and leaders of similar organizations. But they all had only one thing to say: To start a ministry like this requires support. This city only has so much of a support base. The ministries already in place have already consumed this support base. To start a new ministry would only undermine this balance.

All in all, the message sent to him was that he just needed to be happy where he was. They told him that he was doing a good work in his current position. That it was enough for God to just stay where he was at.

But his response was one that is now emblazoned across the dashboard of my mind, one that every Jesus-follower who faces opposition would do well to take to heart. He said to those counseling against his vision, "That's not what God told me to do!"

That's. Not. What. God. Told. ME. To. Do.

How powerful is that?!?

Do I have a vision? Do I have the passion to see it through? Am I confident enough in what it was that I heard from God to continue through hell and high water to see it through?




//edit// as i retell this story, i'm taken aback by the unlikelyhood of the congruity of these events. for one, a christian ministry of this nature does not seem to be possible in communist china. if it did, perhaps it was years ago, before communism took over. i'm not sure how all of these details work.

yet, i tell the story, just as i heard it, for the purpose of making the point which it to apty proves. if, in my attemtps to verify these details, i come across the accurate version, i will then make the appropriate corrections. //end edit//