I was on the verge of complaining about the distance we had to travel to a Church meeting the other day when I was reminded of Steven, Memory and many others…
During one of my visits to Zimbabwe we had a meeting for leaders. My pastor friend invited some youth leaders as well as pastors coming from the remote villages. It was a great privilege to share God’s love and heart for the nations with these brothers and sisters. The hearts of the people were truly touched and the fire to reach out were rekindled.
Brother Steven was one of those who truly had a renewed zeal and eagerness to share the gospel with those in his village. After talking with him and asking about his walk with the Lord, his family, their village and the ministry, I was told that Steven walked for 30 kilometers to attend the meetings. Yes, 30 kilometers!! I was humbled by his commitment.
The question, “How far will you walk?” kept ringing in my ears.
This is Steven’s walk in perspective: Google Maps assumes a 5 km/h walking speed (which is not necessarily that realistic for the majority of people). But let’s assume Steven was able to keep up with Google Maps’ walking speed for the entire distance. By using your grade three math knowledge you will find that Steven would have walked for a total of six hours (without any pit stops or slowing down).
I don’t know about you, but I have never walked six hours to get to a meeting of any kind. I wonder how many people you know have traveled six hours (regardless of the mode of transportation) to get to a meeting? My guess is that you are able to count them on one hand.
On another mission trip we conducted a two-month Bible training. We had some men and women who came in for the sessions as day-students. Memory attended one of the first sessions, where after I asked her whether or not she was going to be with us until the very end. She answered affirmatively. At the end of the course, after attending all sessions, she testified that she went home after that first day questioning whether or not she was going to be able to keep her word. There were days when the rain poured down and that she did not have money for transport and would then walk 10 km to the meeting house.
Memory never complained or even told us about it. She gave her word and she was determined to keep it, even if it meant walking the distance. These stories exemplify a level of dedication and a hunger that I believe we all ought to have.
As I was reminded of the stories of Steven and Memory there was no chance of me complaining about the distance I had to travel that day. Instead, I expressed my thankfulness for people like Steven and Memory… and for the vehicle I was driving of course.
How far will you walk?
About the writer:
Tiaan de Villiers finished his degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria in 2013. However, Tiaan sensed he had a different calling.
He felt a deep hunger stirring in his spirit. He knew he had to go to Africa and the nations of the earth to proclaim the gospel. And that’s exactly what he did, he has traveled far and wide for this great calling upon his life.
He is also the Founder of Didomi and Co-Founder of Harvest Nut Butter. Each organization serves a higher purpose for God’s Kingdom.