Calling

[Antari2012]

I can't shake this vision.

I see myself on a vast plain, walking farther and farther, exhausted. I turn around and see small dots far off, and what appears to be a pile of junk between the two dots. As I squint to get a better look, I see there are three dots, and that the dots are people. My mother, my father, and my stepfather. My father died in 2004, so this is strange to me. All of them are waving to me, not a "come here" wave, but a "Goodbye!" wave. In the middle of them, I see the junk pile, and I begin to notice different items in there, and realize they are my possessions.

What does this mean? Am I to give up my possessions, as well as journey away from the home I know of? I am going to witness in Japan, and this vision is one thing that made me decide that, but should I give everything up? To be honest, I actually do want to let go of it all. Everything I own just owns me, after all. I want to let go and just switch the goal of my life to being a slave to the Lord, with no need for possessions or comfort in life.

What is your opinion, friends?

 

[Firewater]

What counts is heart attitude. You still need to have basics to live & a person can become attached to a bowl if that is all they have, or a person who has many possessions may not be attached to any of them.

Possessions are resources that can be used to bless people. Porches though can't bless people as much as a house for example which could be made available to missionaries on furlough. Some rev-heads may disagree with this

The vision could refer to the process selling or re-locating those things. If you will be going sort or medium term, it may be wise to store or loan those things rather than sell them, as you do not know what your financial situation may be on your return.

It seems you do have a call from the Lord. Some key questions associated with this are "How" & "When". Do you see the Lord's call as being particularly to Japan - Long term e.g. 10-20yrs +, medioum 2-5yrs or short term 3-12mths? Where are you up to with it now? How will you be supported during this period?

Working visas are difficult to get in Japan, but there is a missionary visa that enables a certain amount of work. Many missionaries do western wedding ceremonies & use it as an opportunity to share the gospel as well as a source of income. English teaching is still a popular option there & people & students are interested in overseas culture so are relatively open to the gospel in that context. Because the Japanese students study mostly English grammar in school, they have little exposure to foreign speakers & conversational English. So many are hungry for English conversation.

In the dream, what do you make of "walking farther and farther, exhausted. "? There can be challenges & tiredeness when we are following the Lord, but the thrust of what we are doing should energize us. We can sometimes try to do the Lord's will in our own strength or for the wrong reasons - e.g out of a sense of duty rather than a response to God's love. The apostle Paul said the love of Christ compelled him. Working in our own strength can result in exhaustion.

It's not necessarily an indication that this is what you are doing, but it may be a warning or gentle reminder to be refreshed in the garden of the Lord, drawing from His well so you are not journeying long distances without His sustenance. The key is the enabling grace of God.

The distance in the vision is a striking elemnent. This could refer to the emotional distance from your family that you might feel in those circumstances & is possibly a form of preparation.

Do you have some kind of connection in Japan or a context in which you plan on going e.g. with a church group or missionary organisation?