by M rs . Keith Austin
Consider the MK’S how they grow
W hen Jesus said, “ Consider the lilies . . Mat thew 6:28, He didn't mean that we should just cast a casual glance at them. He intended for us to observe them, study them, meditate about them, learn from them and then apply the truth to our hearts. I invite you to “ consider” missionary kids. Just recently a missionary mother expressed to me her concern over the growing tendency of people at home to think of MK’s in general as candidates for the psychiatrist’s couch. The idea seems to be that no MK can grow up on the mission field with out reacting in some rebellious way toward God, his parents, his school, his teacher or the world in gen eral. It happens occasionally, but this is the excep tion rather than the rule. An MK suffers the same growing pains that every other kid does and, in some ways, he may be a more frequent target of Satan’s efforts to frustrate salvation’s plan. Since missionaries have long been considered queer, weird and sort of “ out of this world” in many circles, it isn’t too surprising that missionaries’ kids are often labeled “ rare,” “ abnormal” or “ not with it." MK’s want to be accepted for the normal, ordi nary kids that they are. They resent being catalogued as some sort of semi-saints or mini-angels. They are aware of their unusual opportunities on the one DECEMBER, 1970
hand, and their lack of so-called advantages on the other. In most cases, they are quite philosophical about it and can do without the applause. For the most part, they accept with gratitude to God the advantages offered and depend upon His grace to surmount any difficulties and to overcome the dis advantages. “ The advantages far outweigh the disadvan tages,” is the testimony of the majority of the MK’s that I have been privileged to know. Too often, how ever, MK's are the unwilling victims of well-meaning sympathizers who deplore their “ lost” opportunities and “ lack” of advantages. Most MK's don’t feel sorry for themselves and they don’t appreciate being pitied or fussed over. Tom, here, is the son of an engineer; Dick’s dad is a doctor; Harry is a missionary's kid, each with all the advantages and disadvantages that his father's profession has to offer. So what? So each one takes it from there and what he is or becomes depends largely upon his own initiative and respon sibility before God and not upon what his father was or wasn't. A parent’s influence and guidance are im portant, of course, but when a floundering fledgling blames his parent's calling, it reeks more of excuse than of reason. Occasionally MK’s are victims of their own par- 15
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