Costly courage
What does it look like to leave your children to follow Christ? CMS missionaries Bill and Linda Colyer are preparing to serve the Lord in Vanuatu, leaving their young adult sons in Australia. Here, they share what God has taught them about following Christ, even when it comes at a cost.
‘We have been reminded that the Christian life is about living beyond our own comfort and confidence.’
Choosing to leave our children
It’s hard to let your kids go. After twenty years of life together, the small things become a part of you–jokes at the dinner table, inarticulate grunts in the early morning, laughter from another room. A full house feels right.
If letting your kids leave home is hard, what about making the choice to leave your kids?
This is what we are doing. In January, Linda and I, together with our daughters Amy and Gwen, are going to serve the Lord in Vanuatu without our sons Steven (20) and Matthew (18).
It’s hard to leave the boys. We love them. We will miss them. We have already spent five months apart during our training at St Andrew’s Hall (SAH). Our time at SAH was full of rich learning and vibrant community, yet we also experienced a nagging sense of sadness throughout. Tears were never far away. It will be harder this time, knowing that we are apart for good.
From certainty to uncertainty
It is also difficult to move from certainty to uncertainty. Family life, as well as work and church, had a familiar, predictable rhythm. Life was going well for us. It took us a long time to be willing to give up that steady certainty and have the courage to step into the entirely unknown.
Of course, that view of life is deceptive. There’s nothing certain about everyday life. As we are reminded in James 4:15, “you do not know what tomorrow will bring”. Trusting in the certainties of life is a fragile hope. Our certainties are anchored in our Father and his constant care.
We have been reminded that the Christian life is about living beyond our own comfort and confidence. When the apostle Paul wrestles with his thorn in the flesh, God reminds him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul can say, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Following the footsteps of the Messiah
God has taught us about depending on him. When we have been sad, we have asked him for comfort. When we have looked out at a sea of uncertainty, we have rested in his constant care. When we were anxious about the future, we looked to him for wisdom, courage and peace.
We are so thankful for the help God has given us. Our boys have a strong sense that they belong in our church family (Wilston Presbyterian). People there look out for them and care for them. Steven is well nurtured, and has matured in the student (AFES) ministry at the University of Queensland. That support has helped us feel confident to move away.
Above and beyond that, we remember that God is at work in the boys and doesn’t need us. We have watered and fed them, but their growth is a precious gift of his grace.
Leaving the boys is a sacrifice. But it’s a sacrifice that makes sense. The gospel doesn’t spread without the sacrifice and suffering of the church. We follow in the footsteps of a crucified Messiah. Please pray that God would continue to give each of us the courage we need to walk in his way.
CARE
When CMS missionaries leave for location, they leave family and friends behind. Could you be someone who cares for parents and others in this time of separation? Click here to find out how you can help.
