Counting the Cost

Hi, Friends, Family, and Loved Ones, your messages of encouragement made me cry. Nadeem and I read the postings every day, and we feel your love and support. This is why God gave us each other! When we are weak, God uses your strength and love and vision to hold us up.
Today Nadeem is exhausted again. He's at the airlines office again changing our flight. Last night he stayed awake most of the night praying over us and praying over our bedroom here. We're in a dark place without the light of Christ. We're in constant battle. Thank you for continuing to pray! It is VITAL! We are so greatly encouraged by reports of the large numbers of God's children who are lifting us up, both adult "children" and young children.
I'm reading a true story of a young missionary couple who served in New Guinea at the time of WWII. The Japanese were approaching their region, and they had heard horror stories. Their mission team was offered the chance to go home. The leader told them to go to God on their knees and pray for His guidance. He said, "This is extremely vital because then no matter what happens in the months or possibly years that lie ahead, you will know that you are exactly where God wants you to be. If you are led to stay, no matter what happens you can look up and say, 'Lord, you intended for me to be right here.'" We know tht God intended for us to be right here in Bangladesh, with Kalina!
The missions team all decided to stay. Right after that, Darlene (the lady telling the story) and the team were captured by the Japanese. Darlene's new husband was put on a truck with the other men to be executed. I love her words: "I truly believe Romans 8:28 'All things work together for good.' We don't find it difficult to repeat the verse and say we believe when all things are going well. But when we find ourselves going through deep waters, confronted by trials we don't understand, can we then say, 'I believe that all things work together for good'?" At that moment, Darlene couldn't. However, she kept her eyes on God. He whispered to her that He had not left her, even though she couldn't see Him or feel Him. She remembered promising as a young girl to go with the Lord, no matter what the cost. What did that mean? Did she really mean it? After watching her husband leave to die, she told the Lord, "With greater understanding I confirm to You tonight I'll still go anywhere-I leave the costing to You."
I think as Christians in America we have a really hard time grasping this idea. So as to not generalize, I'll tell you that I have had a hard time! Nadeem and I prayed for the past year quite intently to know God more, increase our faith, and make an impact in His kingdom, no matter what the cost. Jesus Himself said, "Whoever does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:33) In that same passage, He urges us to count the cost of following Him. I think we sometimes overlook or gloss over the passages that talk about how followers of Christ suffer for Him as Christ suffered for us. Paul alone was shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, nearly stoned to death, put in prison, and then some. People died for their faith. People still do. Just not anyone I know, including Nadeem and me. I don't personally know anyone in America who has suffered to this degree for Christ. (I'm sure they exist, but I don't know them.)
Before this trip, I didn't have much of an understanding about counting the cost. Still I don't grasp it fully. As difficult as this has been for Nadeem and me, it pales in comparison to what some followers have endured for the sake of the cross.
Nadeem and I pray and talk a lot about what God wants us to do when we return to the beautiful land that we love, America! Our story has never been about just getting home, and we've always known this. We long to be home, but we also long to bring God's message to a hurting world. Would we do this again? Oh, please God, no! but not our will but God's be done. If God calls us, we pray that we will count the cost and say yes to whatever He asks.