For Some, Mission Accomplished

   "This book is life-changing." So say a quote on the back of Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life." A book it seems everyone is reading, or at least talking about. 
   The last book that was supposed to change my life was Bruce Wilkenson's "The Prayer of Jabez," which I liked. But I had a problem with the "expand my territory" part.
   Why should I ask God to expand my territory when I can't handle the territory I already have? At any given time there's unfolded laundry sitting on top of my drier. There's a bushel of liriope under my deck that I keep saying I'm going to plant along the Prayer Path at our church. For years I've been trying to commit an hour a week to a local cause like a cooperative ministry, the Dream House or the HOSTS mentoring program. But I can't seem to handle it. So what would I do with more territory?
   When a friend gave me "The Purpose Driven Life," I'd just finished a book, so I thought why not? 
   Warren urges the reader, "Don't just read this book. Interact with it." So I did. I read a chapter a day as he suggests. I copied down all the Bible verses. I underlined passages. I kept a journal. 
   "The next forty days will transform you life," Warren promises. Transform? We'll see.
   I found the book to be well written, Biblically sound and entertaining. But for the most part, it affirmed what I already believed. It supported who I already tried to be. If it was merely building up what was already there, how was it going to transform me? Then I got to Day 38. Here Warren says to pray for people around the world. OK. I do that. Then he says, "just get up and go on a short-term mission project to another country!"
   Here we go again with this "expand my territory" stuff. Until Day 37, I was perfectly fine with this book. It played right into my bloom where you are planted philosophy. But here I am, stuck on Day 38 and still not able to handle what I have at home. I don't need to be traipsing off to some foreign country. 
   But not everyone reacted to the book like I did. When Jerry and Jackie Szalkowski of Lilburn got to Day 38, Jerry said, "Our sons Dan and Todd go on regular mission trips. Maybe we could ask to go along." The next thing they knew, all six of their children pitched in and gave them a mission trip to Honduras for Christmas. "It's mind-boggling," said Jackie.
   Jerry and Jackie will live out Day 40 and leave for Honduras in February while I continue to be stuck on Day 38. But I will pray for them. And I might even attack that laundry on top of my drier.


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