A reluctant traveller

March 26, 2014 | Viewpoints
Melissa Miller |

When the door opens, do you hesitate, turn aside or walk through? It probably depends on the door, right? A big door opened when I was invited to join a Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) program review team in South Africa. In the end, I walked through, but certainly with some hesitation.

I am not an eager traveller to foreign lands. I like my bed and pillow. I function much better with a regular schedule, drinking water on demand and manageable stress—which is subjective, but I’ve had enough years of living to estimate that pretty well. Then there’s the impact of those back-to-back eight- and 11-hour flights, zipping through eight time zones and all that goes with that . . . repeated in reverse to come home. Travelling is gruelling. And airline travel saps a huge amount of the earth’s resources. There are lots of reasons to say no thanks to the open door.

On the other hand, there are compelling reasons to walk through the door. In this case, I was invited to get an up-close look at the amazing work of MCC and its partners, as they labour to bring relief, development and peace in the name of Christ. Also, my spouse has travelled to Africa repeatedly; it seemed important to join him on one of those trips, to glimpse a bit of the continent’s pull on his soul.

Also, it’s summer in southern Africa when it’s winter in Winnipeg. Another great reason to overcome my reluctance and walk through the door!

God opens doors and nudges us to walk through them; we all know such stories. Take Abraham, for example. The account in Genesis 12 sounds pretty straightforward. God tells Abraham to go from his country to the land that I will show you (emphasis mine.) God doesn’t even tell Abraham where he’s going! Yet Abraham goes, just as instructed.

Probably lots of factors come into play as to who strides confidently through the open door, who steps through with fear and trembling, and who never ventures forth, keeping feet firmly planted on familiar turf instead. Reading Abraham’s story, I do wonder about Sarah, and whether she shared Abraham’s confidence in sallying forth, or was a more reluctant traveller.

Now that my trip has come to an end, I am grateful for the opportunity, and grateful that I said yes. South Africa is a beautiful country, with expansive ocean shorelines, towering mountains, fertile farms and orchards. The tiny country of Lesotho, where MCC also has workers, also has spectacular views spread through its mountains and valleys. Both countries have courageous, inspiring people working hard to address the violence, poverty and injustice within their borders. All of this I understand better because I stepped through the open door, met the people, heard their stories, saw and walked on their land.

And I heard the word of God through them. Keke, a young woman in Lesotho, reflecting on her year-long internship with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, spoke directly to the matter of open doors. Acknowledging her uncertainty about what such an experience might mean for her, she counselled others facing similar opportunities. “Go for it,” she enthused. “Seize every opportunity. Just go. You’ll [only] see what’s in front of you. Don’t be cautious or afraid of the newness of the experience. Take risks.”

We don’t all have the opportunity to walk in the Indian Ocean or see the Southern Cross shine brightly in a Lesotho night sky. But we do have God opening doors at every turn, nudging, pushing or compelling us to step through and into the big work he is doing in the world. How do we respond?

Melissa Miller (familyties@mymts.net) lives in Winnipeg. She is wrapped in the family ties of daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend and pastor.

--Posted March 26, 2014

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