A.G. Daniels and Me
This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see an old college professor from Southern speaking for the morning worship time in the SDA General Conference building where I work. He is a history professor, and I think I took U.S. History from him. I suppose I like history anyway, but some people make it better.
Anyway, he was talking about the life of A.G. Daniels, a leader from Adventist church history. The
only thing I knew about Daniels before was that I had some Social Work and Religion classes in a building at Southern that was named after him. But after today, I feel like he was a kindred spirit.
Here are a few similarities I share with Arthur G. Daniels (supplemented by Wikipedia):
1. He started his ministry in Texas. I was born in Texas.
2. He was the first Adventist missionary to New Zealand. I was a student missionary in New Zealand.
3. His heart was in missions, and he was often frustrated by American Christians spending so much money on themselves. (Part of his leadership years were in the 1920s, when church growth had slowed down quite a bit, perhaps in part because of the "roaring 20s" affluence?)
4. After his mission years, he was called back to America to apply what he had learned to his homeland church.
Of course, there are a lot of differences too, like how he was 18 when he married his 22 year-old wife. And the part where he worked with Ellen White in Australia, was the longest-serving General Conference president, and got a building named after him at Southern. (I could at least go for that last one maybe?)
But there was a little story at the end of Dr. McArthur's talk that really spoke to my heart because I think I knew exactly how he felt. A.G. Daniels was writing an encouraging note to a couple of student missionaries, basically. They were two young men, sent from America to do colportering in Great Britain for awhile. In Daniel's note, he mentions how excited he was for them as they begin their new adventure in the mission-field, and how, if God had not made it clear that America was where he needed to be, he would be right there with them.
Sometimes, as names of volunteers flood my email inbox--especially the ones going to Yap--the same words come to my mind. But no matter what side of the ocean I am on, I am so thankful to be part of it. Even when it's overwhelming, and I have more ideas than I have time...it is God's work, and I am only a part of it.
By His grace,
I will do what He wants me to do,
go where He wants me to go,
and be who He wants me to be.
Anyway, he was talking about the life of A.G. Daniels, a leader from Adventist church history. The
Here are a few similarities I share with Arthur G. Daniels (supplemented by Wikipedia):
1. He started his ministry in Texas. I was born in Texas.
2. He was the first Adventist missionary to New Zealand. I was a student missionary in New Zealand.
3. His heart was in missions, and he was often frustrated by American Christians spending so much money on themselves. (Part of his leadership years were in the 1920s, when church growth had slowed down quite a bit, perhaps in part because of the "roaring 20s" affluence?)
4. After his mission years, he was called back to America to apply what he had learned to his homeland church.
Of course, there are a lot of differences too, like how he was 18 when he married his 22 year-old wife. And the part where he worked with Ellen White in Australia, was the longest-serving General Conference president, and got a building named after him at Southern. (I could at least go for that last one maybe?)
But there was a little story at the end of Dr. McArthur's talk that really spoke to my heart because I think I knew exactly how he felt. A.G. Daniels was writing an encouraging note to a couple of student missionaries, basically. They were two young men, sent from America to do colportering in Great Britain for awhile. In Daniel's note, he mentions how excited he was for them as they begin their new adventure in the mission-field, and how, if God had not made it clear that America was where he needed to be, he would be right there with them.
Sometimes, as names of volunteers flood my email inbox--especially the ones going to Yap--the same words come to my mind. But no matter what side of the ocean I am on, I am so thankful to be part of it. Even when it's overwhelming, and I have more ideas than I have time...it is God's work, and I am only a part of it.
By His grace,
I will do what He wants me to do,
go where He wants me to go,
and be who He wants me to be.
I always knew there was a reason I liked that guy, besides the fact he always reminded me of Colonel Sanders. I think they should share about him more often with the social work students.
ReplyDeleteAlso I'd contribute money towards a Keele or an A. L. Keele building.
Haha...awesome. It will probably be an outhouse on the Biology trail or something. :)
DeleteHahaha. An outhouse. Anyways, I can see (from my limited perspective) that you are where He wants to go. Keep on keeping on! By His grace, keep choosing to accept what He has for you! Yay!
ReplyDelete