Be the BACON! by Veronica

During our first couple of weeks in Lousiana, we were told as missionaries with Family Missions Company that we are called to be the bacon. When planning a delicious breakfast…the Hen contributes eggs, the Cow gives milk and cheese, but the Pig gives himself completely! We are called to be the Bacon, like the Pig we need to be willing to give our entire lives to Jesus. I reflected a lot on this during our time of formation. I felt the Lord telling me that I need to trust in Him in all things. After a particular talk given by one of the directors of Family Missions Company, I broke down in tears. I felt the Lord telling me that I needed to give Him EVERYTHING, even my own children, that I needed to put all my security in Him. I felt very convicted because although we had sold our home and most of our things, we still kept things in storage for “just in case” or maybe for other reasons. I felt the Lord tugging at my heart, although I had given a lot, he wanted me to give Him more.  

Luke 18

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.’” 21 He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money[c] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”

28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

I had never really paid too much attention to this parable in the past, and if I did, I always focused on the part that talks about it being harder for a Rich man to enter the Kingdom than a camel to go through the eye of a needle. During my time at Intake, this scripture made its way into my prayer time a couple of times and reading it in its entirety again, the Lord spoke to me. What Jesus kept saying to me was give all you have away and come FOLLOW me. He kept saying, following Me, is trusting in Me completely, that I will provide for your needs. He knows that in my heart I was holding on to certain things in my storage unit and this I believe He knows would keep me from following Him completely. So since we have been home, we have in a matter of a week, completely emptied our storage...we had a fundraiser and friends and family came and took what they wanted and gave what they could. The hardest part was going through the kid's things from their bedrooms, or kids artwork that I was holding on to. I have never done this, but as Jesus said “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God”…I know that this life I am called to is not going to be easy. I can’t even begin to think about what challenges I will face, but all I know is I need to give my entire self to Jesus. I need to ask Him to help me because I alone can do nothing, and it’s the Lord who will do everything.