would you go?

i dont often blog about my faith- i mean, i talk about it quite a bit, especially with my job situation, but it isnt often the 'topic' of my blog. and actually, i tend to talk about it in my frustration....which i think we often do. but yesterday at church, we had a guest speaker who knocked my socks off. his name was jamie w.he was amazing. he was a retired d.c. cop who was actually recruited by the CIA b/c of his police work on the squad who decided that he he wasnt 'casting his net' far enough. so he turned down the CIA opportunity down, and at that time, took his wife, his 8 yr old, 5 yr old and 10 month old son and moved to Indonesia to serve the people there. He had a calling to reach the Muslim faith specifically. Could you imagine-just up and leaving everything you know and going to a foreign place-with small children, where you can be arrested, and potentially put to death for sharing you faith??? This mans passion, amazed me. It just drew me in, captivated me. He was, in fact, arrested, for something-i cant recall what it was.... And potentially faced 10 years in prison in Indonesia. On the day of his trial, a chair sat empty and he sat before two other court justices in the court room. His wife and him had come to terms with the fact that he was going to go to jail, and she would be taking care of the children. but at the last moment, when asked if there was anyone who wanted to speak as a witness on his behalf, a man came in. it wasnt anyone he knew, but it was clear he was someone highly regarded. he spoke that he was a devout muslim, and when he went to america to get his PHD, it was one of the most prestigious and difficult programs ever. and he couldnt pass. but on the second or third night there, two men came to him and said they wanted to help him, bc they wanted him to succeed. and they did help him. and not only did they help him, but this man became graduated top of the class, even ahead of the two men who helped him. he also shared that every wednesday, they held a study, a bible study. those two men were christians. they wanted to help him, out of the goodness of their hearts, not because he was the 'enemy', bc he was muslim, but because they loved him, despite different religions. The man then looked at jamie and said, you are doing your work, but you are doing it all wrong. we are not your enemy. find another way. and walked out. the court justices looked at each other and said, the charges will be dismissed. jamie walked out of the court room, confused, and the man was waiting outside. jamie said, 'who are you, and what just happened?' the man said, 'do you see that empty chair? that chair belongs to the president of the islam board (or something of that nature), and he was killed yesterday in a car accident. that chair now belongs to me.' and walked away. tell me God doesnt work in mysterious ways.....so they did find another way. they live in indonesia for 8 yrs and moved then to iraq, and then to baghdad. and have changed many muslim lives along the way. casting their nets off the boat into deeper water, doing as God tells them, when He tells them. Man, i want faith like that. i LONG for faith like that. i realized how un-strong i am. i am simply wading in the shallow. i THINK im in the deep end. i realized though, that to cast into the deep end you dont necessarily have to go cross country, or states away--it can next door, or across the street. or the local homeless shelter. or the youth. my own family....myself.....it really stirred me.

so, what about you? will you cast your net like Peter? into deeper waters? would you go, near or far wherever he will lead you?