21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
There are a couple of places where I have ministered where I have said that I would like to come back and visit if it is God’s will. One of those places is Romania. We made several trips to Romania to work with orphans. My heart is still stirred as I remember their lives and the ministry we had there. And the impact was not just on them, I was changed in the process. My family had the privilege of traveling there as well. We have all been changed through our contact with those children. Our hearts are more inclined toward ministry and open to movement in that direction. It is hard to know, sometimes, whether it is God’s will to return or just the stirrings of my heart. There are so many things to balance in the process. It would cost several thousand dollars for us to travel there. Would not that money be better used if I sent it to them directly rather than supporting the airline industry? We support ministry in Romania, India, Africa, and Iraq. It makes much more sense for us to send the money to those who are there already ministering in Jesus’ name rather than trying to go there myself and begin a ministry. I don’t know the language or culture. I would be an outsider needing to gain acceptance. Our money supports ministry that we could never accomplish. I would love to travel to the places where our money has gone to see the impact firsthand, but I think that desire is a selfish one. I would love to go and spend summers ministering side by side with others around the world, but my impact dollar for dollar would probably be limited. But I can reach across the world with my dollars. Are your dollars doing any reaching?
The Arnold Journey 