An exciting life
Do you like excitement? When I talk about emotions with people, I sometimes list off 6 types of emotion as "Love, Joy, Excitement, Anger, Sadness, and Fear." (Or something like that, my memory is not particularly linear, so you might have heard me use a slightly different six. Something online here.)
Another word for excitement might be stimulation. What one person finds mildly noticeable, another might find stressful. And what one person finds stressful, another might find intolerable. But that's true for any emotion.
Why write about excitement?
Risk and reward are a big part of international ministry. Most people turn down the potential rewards because of the risks involved. Yes, it's exciting, but excitement can quickly become suffering, for ourselves and others. We all must ask, "Is it worth it?"
Emotion rules
If you've ever met or been a gambler, a lover, or a driver, you know that emotion guides reason, not vice versa. What do gamblers, lovers, and drivers have in common? All of these roles require significant risk with hope of reward. So does international ministry.
One veteran worker once told me, "I always begin home assignments thinking, 'I won't go back. I can't win the victory over the traffic.' But halfway through, I start thinking, 'Well, maybe.' And so far, I've always ended up coming back." I loved this story because to me it represents so much more—all the little frustrations and sacrifices which impact us just as much as the big picture which motivates us to pursue great things. It felt good to hear that he also experienced this, including doubts about whether he was doing the right thing. Besides, the traffic in Taiwan really was overwhelming, and I sinned in traffic way more than just once. I thought evil thoughts, I did mean things, and I temporarily forgot or ignored Philippians 4:8-9.
Risk will always be with us
"If something is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly." Like much practical wisdom, this saying is both right and not right. What makes it right is that it is impossible to do things perfectly. Mistakes will be made. Therefore, the person who is paralyzed by risk will never leave their comfort zone. "Loafers say, 'It's dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!' and then pull the covers back over their heads. [Proverbs 26:13, The Message.]"
At the same time, no one builds a tower without first counting the cost (Luke 14:28.) Although we can't avoid risk, that doesn't mean we should do stupid things. "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well." That was the earlier proverb, which brought about the contrasting one above. I love a good paradox.
Has our life been exciting?
Lately, a little less so than it once was. For me, that's left me a little restless. For Laura, a little more rest would be even better. She finds more joy (and stress?) in the daily disciplines of life than I do. But we both know that life involves risk and reward, excitement and contentment. Pray for us to each find a balance and to find a good balance together.
With love in the one who keeps us, Steve and Laura
P.S. Why write about excitement?
From the beginning, these email updates have been about our ministry. But years ago, I noticed….
1) People who read these updates want to hear from us and about us.
2) Most of our ministry stories involve other people and we all have the right to tell our own stories, so we can't just repeat the stories of those we're coming alongside.
3) International ministry is not so easily understood by many, so we hope that over time we are helping bridge that gap by what we share, without breaking confidences. We also hope others in ministry find these updates authentic and relevant.
Did this discussion prompt you to think about risk and reward in international ministry? In our lives? In your own journey?
Steve and Laura Spinella
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