Just? ...continued
My previous post was entitled "Just a mom?" In it I was advocating more respect for moms and their roles. But think about some other examples of how we use the word "just" to convey the meaning "only, merely, not more than":
"You're going on furlough just to rest?"
"Well, I guess all you can do is just pray."
It seems to me that the use of the word "just" in this context really sends a message of devaluing the object it is describing (moms, rest, prayer).
I haven't heard anyone say this out loud, but I imagine there might be people thinking it: "You're going on furlough just to rest?"
It's hard to explain the need to rest from the mission field and I have to expect that some people will have a hard time understanding. But in an effort to show the need and value for this kind of "odd sounding extended time of rest", here we go...
Being a missionary on a foreign field takes it's toll on a person and a family. In more ways than one: physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful, rewarding, job, one that God specifically calls you to. And yet, it also comes at a price.
Being far away from family and friends is really hard. Seeing them occasionally is wonderful but missing out on life with them is no fun. Yes, we have a different kind of family here we are very thankful for, but we still greatly miss our family. In some ways it gets easier as the years go by and in other ways it doesn't.
I think the biggest need for rest is a rest from constantly giving out. Ministry becomes your life. And that's not a bad thing. Until you can't recognize when you're close to burn-out and it's time to have a release of responsibility. Time to be poured into.
I agree that this should be done in healthy doses throughout a missionary's time on the field (weekend trip to the beach with the family, regular date nights, etc.). But getting away completely for an extended period of time has a way of restoring and replenishing in a way that these other things while on the field fall short of.
"Culturally fatigued" is a phrase I heard recently and it makes complete sense to me. The struggles and pressures of living in a different culture can slowly wear on you. From waiting in endless lines to traffic frustrations to the oppressive heat to language barriers to heightened awareness of theft.
Someone can be "ministerially fatigued" as well. We recognize this in North America as we grant pastors a sabbatical. Imagine a missionary being "culturally fatigued" on top of being "ministerially fatigued". That's kind of where we feel we are at.
So, going to the states just to rest? Yes, to rest. To release responsibility. To rest our minds, bodies, emotions. To regain fuel, to readjust our focus, to refresh our weary selves. These are all good things and we are looking forward to them. Of course, we will also need to spend some energy and time in raising additional funds but this competes with our priority goal of resting. So, we'll be pushing the bulk of that to the spring after we have spent some time resting and adjusting.
My last example: "Well, I guess all you can do is just pray."
Really? Just pray. No more than pray? Merely pray? Only pray?
As if prayer is some sort of last resort or something of little importance. Something that might work, so you might as well try it.
How about first pray, always pray, love to pray?
I think we are devaluing prayer and in effect, God, when we say or think "Well, I guess all you can do is just pray."
Prayer is hard, I get it. I wish I prayed more. I wish I prayed more effectively. I wish my first reaction was always to pray.
And I have to believe that the God who I'm talking to hears me (unless I have sin that I have not confessed). I have to believe that He has power over all things to answer in His way, in His timing. And I have to believe that really, more important than His answer is that I'm seeking Him.
So...the next time you think about using the word "just", as in those examples, think about what it conveys to your audience about what is important and valuable.
"Just sayin'."
"You're going on furlough just to rest?"
"Well, I guess all you can do is just pray."
It seems to me that the use of the word "just" in this context really sends a message of devaluing the object it is describing (moms, rest, prayer).
I haven't heard anyone say this out loud, but I imagine there might be people thinking it: "You're going on furlough just to rest?"
It's hard to explain the need to rest from the mission field and I have to expect that some people will have a hard time understanding. But in an effort to show the need and value for this kind of "odd sounding extended time of rest", here we go...
Being a missionary on a foreign field takes it's toll on a person and a family. In more ways than one: physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful, rewarding, job, one that God specifically calls you to. And yet, it also comes at a price.
Being far away from family and friends is really hard. Seeing them occasionally is wonderful but missing out on life with them is no fun. Yes, we have a different kind of family here we are very thankful for, but we still greatly miss our family. In some ways it gets easier as the years go by and in other ways it doesn't.
I think the biggest need for rest is a rest from constantly giving out. Ministry becomes your life. And that's not a bad thing. Until you can't recognize when you're close to burn-out and it's time to have a release of responsibility. Time to be poured into.
I agree that this should be done in healthy doses throughout a missionary's time on the field (weekend trip to the beach with the family, regular date nights, etc.). But getting away completely for an extended period of time has a way of restoring and replenishing in a way that these other things while on the field fall short of.
"Culturally fatigued" is a phrase I heard recently and it makes complete sense to me. The struggles and pressures of living in a different culture can slowly wear on you. From waiting in endless lines to traffic frustrations to the oppressive heat to language barriers to heightened awareness of theft.
Someone can be "ministerially fatigued" as well. We recognize this in North America as we grant pastors a sabbatical. Imagine a missionary being "culturally fatigued" on top of being "ministerially fatigued". That's kind of where we feel we are at.
So, going to the states just to rest? Yes, to rest. To release responsibility. To rest our minds, bodies, emotions. To regain fuel, to readjust our focus, to refresh our weary selves. These are all good things and we are looking forward to them. Of course, we will also need to spend some energy and time in raising additional funds but this competes with our priority goal of resting. So, we'll be pushing the bulk of that to the spring after we have spent some time resting and adjusting.
My last example: "Well, I guess all you can do is just pray."
Really? Just pray. No more than pray? Merely pray? Only pray?
As if prayer is some sort of last resort or something of little importance. Something that might work, so you might as well try it.
How about first pray, always pray, love to pray?
I think we are devaluing prayer and in effect, God, when we say or think "Well, I guess all you can do is just pray."
Prayer is hard, I get it. I wish I prayed more. I wish I prayed more effectively. I wish my first reaction was always to pray.
And I have to believe that the God who I'm talking to hears me (unless I have sin that I have not confessed). I have to believe that He has power over all things to answer in His way, in His timing. And I have to believe that really, more important than His answer is that I'm seeking Him.
So...the next time you think about using the word "just", as in those examples, think about what it conveys to your audience about what is important and valuable.
"Just sayin'."
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