It’s a beautiful sunny day, and you have decided to take yourself or your family to the beach. It’s one of those days where everything is just perfect– not too hot, but you can tell you’ll tan, your playlist is spot on, and if you’re a parent your kids will be tired the rest of the day & fall asleep content.
Imagine the feel of the cool water on you legs and the ice cold beverage you are drinking in your hands. Imagine watching those around you and hoping they are enjoying themselves as much as you right now.
But then– you hear it. Splashing. Screaming. Shouting. You see people running into the water or a life guard jumping in to save the day. Your heart rate increases and you are unsure what to do. After a few minutes, the chaos clears and you hear the relief of a parent as they soothe a crying child– saved from the worst fate imaginable for their loved ones: death.
You hug your kids if you have them, or text a friend, as you’re reminded of how short our time is on Earth and go back to your amazing day.
And THAT is why you should give to missions.
Giving increases chance for rescue
I know what you’re thinking– “What? That was transitional whiplash!”
Let me explain. In my fictional story, 90% of you as an onlooker do not have the training or capacity to save someone from drowning. Myself included.
My lifeguard, EMT, military or other rescue personnel friends, will tell you that you would probably kill both of you before you saved one of you in that situation without proper training. It is there some chance you save them– yes– but I would gander it’s less than 50%.
If a trained individual is the one to go rescue the person, the odds are significantly higher that both will come out alive. Probably around 90%.
We view our world sometimes like we view the situation on the beach. We know there’s a problem. We see the signs, we’re concerned about the signs & the problem, but we are not trained or equipped to deal with it. We can try to solve a little bit of the problem, but it’s more likely that we fall short.
When it comes to reaching high schools, colleges, communities or athletes for Christ– I am trained & equipped to do just that. I also have the time, the resources AND the capacity as a full-time minister to get the job done.
You can come on board and be trained as well (we love and need volunteers)— OR significantly increase the chance to get done what needs to be done by simply empowering a full-time missional employee to do their job to the best of their ability— through giving.
Giving provides opportunity
By giving to a missionary, like myself, you are providing opportunities for me to rescue a life.
You may never be able to be on a college campus in Las Vegas– but I am.
You may never step foot in a high school outside of your child going there– but I do.
You may never have had 600 Bibles in your garage to give out for free– but I have.
By simply giving to me personally for the work I do for FCA, YOU are in part also doing all of those things. By being a part of understanding where your personal capacity lies, you can be a part of something bigger by joining in with someone else.
It doesn’t even have to be a lot of money. $10 buys a Bible a month that a student could be receiving for the first time. $25 is gas for my car to drive to UNLV where I sit across from athletes and hear their hearts. $50 is one lunch of pizza for Cheyenne High School where a student could wander in and leave knowing Jesus. Little amounts still have big impact.
This isn’t even a push to give to me. I would rather you be generous to someone than no one. If one person can be rescued from drowning then I want that person to be saved, which is why I also give.
I just want you to know that while you’re sitting on the beach enjoying your day, that you are doing something to rescuing someone who is drowning. When it comes to spiritual drowning, you can help to pull someone into the safe arms of our Savior Jesus, simply by helping to provide opportunity.
Lauren Roback 