With our twenty year-old daughter, Allena, there are some things I’ve realized lately. She was the only child we were able to have out of nine pregnancies. The life she’s added to our home has been a blessing. The Almighty gave Allena to Bobbi and me on loan. With the life experiences she’s been through in the last five years. My loving Heavenly Father is asking both her mother and I to trust His will for her life as we give her back (in stages) to the Almighty.
My biggest act of letting go to my Heavenly Father will happen on August twentieth of this year as my daughter heads off Bethany Global University in Bloomington, MN for a Bachelor Arts degree in her double major of Bible & Theology and Intercultural Ministry Studies.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the statement “my daughter is a missionary to ____.” I am excited in the steps of maturity that will happen inside my daughter this school year at a new college. The distance between her and us is one more act for me of giving Allena back to her true Father. Mentally, that’s as far as I can go. If I picture her in some foreign country, I might just have to start up some heavy-duty crying and snotting (with multiple boxes of tissues).
One day when I will be required to let go of more of my missionary daughter back to the hands of the Heavenly Father; this is what I hope to say. (Please note the letter below has been created and adapted extensively from the two article references listed at the bottom of this post. Though all the language is not my own; the sentiment listed for my daughter, Allena, is exactly how I feel):
Dearest Allena,
Because the Lord loves you, you’ll grow in unrecognizable ways until this life transitions into the eternal one. You’ll acquire new skills and sharpen others you’ve had since you were a child.
You’ll become a fantastic force for God. Your personal growth will become a byproduct of serving Him. I’m so pleased you’ve decided to serve the Lord as a missionary. You pondered, prayed, and listened to His voice. When the Spirit invited you to serve, you said, “Yes.” What more can a dad ask for?
Prayer will become a vital part of your life. Talking to your Heavenly Father will be your lifeline. For your mission to go smoothly (and you to be your happiest), do things God’s way the first time. Apply the lessons He teaches you to your life as soon as possible.
Believe me. This task won’t be easy (physically or mentally). God will open some doors of service, and shut others. You will have to eventually leave your comfort zones to grow. There are both rewards and challenges that await you. Make sure to bathe those you minister to in prayer. They’ll be different than you, but no less worthy of your care. Teach others with both authority and humility (at the same time).
Strangers will become dear friends faster than you realize. You will see people through Heaven’s eyes. Maybe you can’t ignore others imperfections, but you can help change them into an asset. God gives us all different talents, and as long as they are all pointed to Him, it doesn’t matter what the end result looks like. Put the Savior first, and He’ll never forget you. Be yourself because missionaries do not flip a switch, and become something from a handbook.
You have a unique personality (just like the diverse temperaments of those surrounding you). It will be the reason you make the connections you do. Be the best version of yourself possible. Hopefully, your spiritual testimony will help others look past the blunders you are bound to make.
Treat other missionaries as the finest people you’ve ever met (because they are). Always assume the best in others. Run from gossip like it’s the most dangerous plague ever known (because it is). You’re mission isn’t for you, but the Lord. He is guiding your footsteps.
There others you haven’t met yet that will know of Jesus only through you. Isn’t our Heavenly Father miraculous to do this for you? My love for you as your father is indescribable. I wish you only the best in your future (wherever that happens to be in God's mission field).[i]
Love, Dad
“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God
is a global God.”
(John Stott) Because the Lord loves you, you’ll grow in unrecognizable ways until this life transitions into the eternal one. You’ll acquire new skills and sharpen others you’ve had since you were a child.
You’ll become a fantastic force for God. Your personal growth will become a byproduct of serving Him. I’m so pleased you’ve decided to serve the Lord as a missionary. You pondered, prayed, and listened to His voice. When the Spirit invited you to serve, you said, “Yes.” What more can a dad ask for?
Prayer will become a vital part of your life. Talking to your Heavenly Father will be your lifeline. For your mission to go smoothly (and you to be your happiest), do things God’s way the first time. Apply the lessons He teaches you to your life as soon as possible.
Believe me. This task won’t be easy (physically or mentally). God will open some doors of service, and shut others. You will have to eventually leave your comfort zones to grow. There are both rewards and challenges that await you. Make sure to bathe those you minister to in prayer. They’ll be different than you, but no less worthy of your care. Teach others with both authority and humility (at the same time).
Strangers will become dear friends faster than you realize. You will see people through Heaven’s eyes. Maybe you can’t ignore others imperfections, but you can help change them into an asset. God gives us all different talents, and as long as they are all pointed to Him, it doesn’t matter what the end result looks like. Put the Savior first, and He’ll never forget you. Be yourself because missionaries do not flip a switch, and become something from a handbook.
You have a unique personality (just like the diverse temperaments of those surrounding you). It will be the reason you make the connections you do. Be the best version of yourself possible. Hopefully, your spiritual testimony will help others look past the blunders you are bound to make.
Treat other missionaries as the finest people you’ve ever met (because they are). Always assume the best in others. Run from gossip like it’s the most dangerous plague ever known (because it is). You’re mission isn’t for you, but the Lord. He is guiding your footsteps.
There others you haven’t met yet that will know of Jesus only through you. Isn’t our Heavenly Father miraculous to do this for you? My love for you as your father is indescribable. I wish you only the best in your future (wherever that happens to be in God's mission field).[i]
Love, Dad
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| Selfie of our daughter, Allena Kinker |
[i] Sources used:
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