Called to Follow
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“Whoa.”
I stared at the monitor in the seat in front of me. The map displaying our flight path showed that we had crossed the Mediterranean Sea and were now over Egypt. The familiarity of what I saw made me gasp. My skin tingled as I stared at the tiny screen in front of me.
Growing up, I attended church with my family every Sunday. Every time the doors were open, we were there. I had to dress up in a collared shirt and tie, and I dragged my Bible along every week. In those days, Bibles were large, leather-bound tomes in the King James Version. When the sermon turned dull, I opened my Bible to the maps in the back. I stayed awake by tracing the path Paul had taken as he brought the gospel into Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Another chart showed where Jesus went in Israel. The first map always indicated the path the Israelites took when they left Egypt during the Exodus. It was this page that blazed across my mind in the airplane. I was flying over the land reflected on that map.
I saw the Red Sea, where the Israelites escaped pursuit from the Egyptians. I saw the Sinai Peninsula, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. And I saw Egypt and the Nile River, where Joseph rose to power, where Moses was born, and where another Joseph took Jesus to escape Herod. In America, our stories only go back a couple hundred years. I was flying over a place with thousands of years of history. These stories have weight. This land has history.
I looked out the window for a glimpse of this ancient place. Miles below, sand the color of a sugar cookie stretched to the horizon. My wife sat beside me, and I poked her with my elbow. “Stephanie, look. It’s our first African sunset.” The sun blazed fiery orange and brilliant yellow, making the western horizon appear aflame. I prayed for the fire of God’s spirit to flow through our team as we shared His love with the people of Uganda.
My heart pounded, and Stephanie squeezed my hand as I pressed my face to the glass. I couldn’t believe this trip was really happening. Words stuck in my throat I considered everything it had taken to make this mission trip possible.
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As we walked up to the waterfall, the land was brown and dusty. When we arrived at the falls, everywhere the water touched was green and growing. In the same way, everywhere Jesus reaches, we see growth in dry situations. I hope that everywhere we went, we left behind life. During our clinics, I prayed to see with the eyes of Jesus and be his hands and feet to a desperate world. Well, that desperate world doesn’t change when we leave Uganda. Even though we aren’t in Africa, we still need to be His eyes, hands and feet to everyone who sees us. Not just for big stuff like going to Uganda, but every day towards the people in our lives.
You don’t need to be in Uganda to make a difference. You can do it right now, today, in your own home. Ask God how He can use you. Look for ways for people to see Jesus in everything you do. You will be astonished at what you discover.
Paul McDonald challenges and equips readers to walk in the fullness of their gifts and talents. You’ll live a better life having read this book.
—Margaret Feinberg, author of Flourish
Paul is a wellspring of wisdom and a voice worth listening to.
—Jonathan Merritt, contributing writer for The Atlantic and author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch
Paul shares his struggles with doubt and frustration as he pursued a greater purpose and calling. It’s never easy, and not always obvious, but following Jesus one step at a time will unlock greater meaning, adventure, and life than you can imagine.
—Jeremy Cowart, photographer and founder of the Purpose Hotel
About the Author
Paul McDonald lives in Charlotte, NC and works as a writer, speaker and teacher. He married Stephanie in 2010, and their blended family includes 4 children and 3 dogs. He enjoys golfing, reading and sitting by the fire drinking a scotch while smoking a cigar. Paul shares the story of what Jesus has done in his life and wants others to experience freedom and healing through Christ.