He said, "Go."

Here's something that I have been pondering for a while: Why does Jesus so often say, "Go."? From this experience of going to another 1st world country, "go"ing has meant the challenges of depending upon other people for the basic necessities (unlocking my blocked cell phone, translating at the prefecture, explaining the city transportation system, etc.). "Go"ing without the ability to speak French fluently has meant being restricted to the simplest phrases ("Good day!", "How are you?", "I am American"). When I attempted to share more about my experiences and faith with a limited vocabulary (and personal patience), misunderstandings were construed and I was advised to stick with casual conversation (How can I glorify God with only casual conversation?? Perhaps by using more than words...). "Go"ing has meant leaving my loved ones behind in the hopes of developing other close friendships (which just makes the middle months difficult). "Go"ing has meant leaving most of my clothes, books, cds, shoes and Starbucks behind (yes, I can survive without most of these things, including Starbucks, but it's not "normal" for me to have only one pair of jeans). "Go"ing has meant the necessity of quickly adjusting to not having a dryer, coffeepot, car or CD player. And I'm still in a 1st world country!

So why does Jesus encourage us to "Go."? I think it has something to do with acknowledging our dependance on God and our independance from worldly goods. When I don't know where I'm going to sleep tonight or whether I can handle another overwhelming conversation in French, I pray. When I don't know if I'll have enough money for food for the month, I pray. When I'm scared because of the city crowds and the rowdy men in the street who seem to prefer the company of large dogs rather than other people, I pray. When I go to a new place or meet new people, a shyness comes through that gives me just a little anxiety and I pray. Since all these things happen often, I've been praying a lot.

And I've been learning that it is possible to only have one pair of jeans, to air dry my clothes (not so fluffy though), to survive without Starbucks, to maintain my composure when people are yadda-yadda-yadding at me, to depend upon God in a foreign country. Surely, it's not the same feeling as being able to fully relax in beautiful Gilford, NH, depending upon my parents and not questioning my security. But with my present situation alone in France, there are so many people who would consider this to be a pleasant change from their truly dangerous, inconsistent lives.

Thus, I don't think these situations that force us to recognize our dependance upon God are bad. They're not always comfortable or enjoyable, but at least we can depend upon Him. Thankfully we can depend upon Him.