A Call to Follow

Melanie Ferrier of Stoney Creek, Ontario has learned how to follow the Leader, taking her example from both Abraham and a flock of geese.  She shares here, how her CRWRC volunteer mission assignment to Bangladesh taught her how to be a true follower.

When I signed myself up for a cross-cultural, cross-lingual, cross-the-ocean mission trip, Uncertainty and Disbelief loudly opposed: “What do you think you are doing!?” They had their reasons. After all, I had shied away from leadership all my life – how did I expect to undertake a position that inherently required a certain degree of autonomous action? After I was accepted, and the excitement and novelty of my decision began to wear off, I found myself believing those opponents and giving in to fear.

I can still remember going to the CRWRC missions orientation and feeling completely out of place. Each participant had at least one cross-cultural experience characterized by courage, boldness and leadership. What did I have to offer? I had struggled through an 8 month stint in France: no poverty encounters, no shocking cultural experiences, no defiant acts of courage, no exceptional acts of leadership. In other words, I had no mission experience to speak of. What had I gotten myself into!?

As it turns out, I had gotten myself into nothing at all. Had I forgotten God’s call? It was He who had “gotten me into” this something and, as I would come to realize, it was He who would lead me through. The other day I came across this verse:  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8)
I wonder, did Abraham ask himself, “What have I gotten myself into!?” Did he struggle with feelings of fear and inadequacy? No doubt he did, but despite questions of personal sanity or feelings of fear, he remained committed to following God. I suppose God gave me the same courage and assurance which he gave Abraham. Despite my fears, I did go to Bangladesh, and despite my feelings of inadequacy, every week I hear stories of what God accomplished through me. Missions, I have learned, does not require one ounce of personal leadership ability. Instead, they require daily commitment to submit my plans to God and follow Him wherever He leads.

For lack of a better word, missions are characterized by a series of “blows”. For me, Blow #1 was discovering that my assignment included teaching English to a multi-leveled class of 13. Teach English! Me!? I have a hard enough time directing friends to my house – how could I possibly explain the complexities of English grammar? It seemed impossible, so I turned to the One who is in the business of doing impossible things and asked for guidance. “Lord, show me what to teach,” I pleaded, “please, put directions and explanations and answers into my mouth.” He did. Every Monday and Tuesday afternoon, as I walked into my classroom, something amazing happened. God not only guided me through my lessons, He also built relationships between me and my students – I became a participant in their work and in their lives. I still have the card they gave me on our last day of class. It says, “Melanie, thank you for being a wonderful teacher, and thank you for talking with us.”
 

One month into my mission, another “blow” arrived: I was to begin work on my first annual report, and I was to begin alone – my two supervisors being out of the country at the time. I was overwhelmed by the responsibility and at a complete loss as far as where to begin. What could I do? I hired myself a supervisor: God Almighty. “Where should I start?” I asked, “Will you facilitate my meetings? Will you organize my schedule? Will you guide my preparation?”Every morning, when I gave God control over my day, I was filled with the assurance that He would lead me to accomplish His goals. I wasn’t sure what those goals were, but in the end they became apparent: working alongside different partner organizations, I updated and refurbished three annual reports which – I pray – will open many eyes to the development happening in Bangladesh.

Let me tell you about one last blow. It was not unexpected – I knew that my main role in Bangladesh would be as a story writer – however, the time to write was accompanied by feelings of dread. It is true, I have always dreamed of being a writer, but that dream had never carried through into reality. Except for an unsuccessful experience in high school and my paper writing experience from university, I had never creatively put pen to paper. What made me think I could write? How could I do justice to reality through words? “I can’t do this,” I told God. “That’s right,” seemed to be His reply, “You can’t, but I can.” So, once again, I let Him lead. He guided me through my interviews, helped me understand translations, and gave me confidence as I wrote. When I returned home, I discovered that the stories I had sent ahead of me had circulated throughout my home church. To my surprise, people I knew only by face came to me to talk about what I had seen. It seems that God had greater plans for those stories than I had ever imagined.

The other day, as I stood by the frosted window, I watched the distinct check-mark formation of a flock of geese moving southward across the winter-clear sky. Geese, when they fly, always follow a leader. If they tried to fly alone, the effort of flying against wind and air resistance would quickly wear them out. They would never get anywhere. But, as long as they follow a strong leader, they will achieve their destination with ease. When it comes to missions – and life in general – we would do well to learn from the geese. Trying to take the lead on our own strength can only end in defeat and exhaustion, but when we let God take the lead, the trip will always end with Him glorified. So, whether you are considering, starting, experiencing, or finishing a mission trip, I encourage you to become a follower. Leave the leading to God.
 

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