~Dave Terpstra to Jared Mackey in India (I was jet-lagged at the time, but it still sounds right on this side of the pond).
Sometimes God calls us specifically. He wants us to go somewhere specific (like Mozambique) or do something specific (like be a counselor or pastor or teacher or computer programmer).
Sometimes God calls us collectively. He wants a whole church or home group to pay attention to something.
Sometimes God calls us lovingly. He wants us to spend more time with Him.
But sometimes God calls us generically. He simply wants us to respond. To begin to serve. To learn to listen. To discover what is next.
That is how God began to call Amy and me to Africa. Sure, looking back I can connect the dots. But at the time, they just looked like dots. Generic dots.
I'm speaking at Greenwood Community Church on the 16th on the subject of calling, and as I am putting together my story, I am realizing how obvious it seems on the back end that God was calling us to Africa. But at the time, it was just about sponsoring a kid through Compassion International, joining the One Campaign, and supporting friends who were missionaries.
I guess the lesson I am learning is to follow God's generic calls, not just his specific ones. You never know where something "generic" might lead...
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