Mission Impossible

“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27

I’m really glad Brian De Palma and Company brought the wonderful spy thriller Mission Impossible to a new generation. I grew up glued to the television on MI nights. Each episode began with actor Peter Graves’ character finding a secret envelope strategically placed for his eyes only, and playing the enclosed tape that began, “Good morning, Mr. Phelps.” The unknown speaker would explain the dilemma, and then make his request. “Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it…” The thrills and spills that followed always lived up to the promised suspense of the tape and documents that self-destructed once their message was delivered.

Doing the impossible during an ordinary life is tricky business. Most of us don’t work in the field of espionage and intrigue. Nor have we received our marching orders from a burning bush rather than a burning tape, to take it to a more Biblical example. We trudge along, good soldiers that we are, trying to do the right things each day. Some of us lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in us, to quote Thoreau.

Without question the song is there. As Solomon observed, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We’re always looking for something big, to see from beginning to end that panoramic mark we might make on the universe.

But the wisdom of God is that He is powerful in quiet, small decisions. Like the spies of MI, much of our best work goes unnoticed by the public as we battle unseen enemies to shift the balance of power, or perhaps to keep it from shifting. A small course adjustment yields big changes over time. Any pilot or controller will tell you that. Can you remember the last time the Lord spoke something to your heart He wanted you to do? When He nudged you during that secret time in your prayer closet? Did you do it or was it a small thing in your eyes? Have you any idea what the impact of it might have been?

Maybe like me and every other human on the planet you’re inclined to wander off and forget what you heard. Maybe you become distracted and most days don’t even remember you’re a secret agent. Maybe you think nobody pays much attention to little ol’ you. You forget there are legions of agents for the other side who know your name and reputation and make it their business to pull you off course with red herrings.

Selah. Stop and think about that.

I think it’s time for me to spend some time pondering what a fantastic thing it is that I have received messages for my ears only from the highest power that exists. That there have been mornings when the Holy Spirit has greeted me, “Good morning, Ms. Simonds…” Evenings when He ministered to my heart visions of things He wants to do in the earth. He has even gone so far as to instruct me, saying, “Your mission, Lisa, should you decide to accept it…”

There remains no tangible evidence of these encounters except my life. My life is evidence enough.

I have to ask myself, if I just say yes, what might be possible?

© Melissa Kay Simonds

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