Growing up, I used to always say I wanted to have nine children. Who doesn’t want their very own baseball team?

Now, as an adult, I have an only child. We had her and knew almost instantly, our little family was complete. God has a way of letting us know what’s just right for us. If we’re listening.

I just finished a book, Why God Calls Us To Dangerous Places by Kate McCord. I chuckle at my childhood dreaming of a whole brood of kids. But what if God had called me to something radically different? Would I have the faith it takes to answer in obedience?

While reading this book, I kept thinking about what category it would fall under. A memoir of sorts but not as much as Kate’s book, In the Land of Blue Burqas. It seemed to be mostly a guidebook. For those who feel God’s call to go into dangerous places. For the loved one who will be left behind to pray and support that person from afar. For the churches and small groups who someday, Lord willing, welcome them home.

The call to a dangerous place is a very real one for some and Kate wanted to be sure her readers understood it. She shares some of her own stories. She interweaves Scripture. Throughout the book, she also includes testimony from others affected by this calling.

What I gained from my time in Afghanistan were kisses from elderly toothless women, who had lived a lifetime by 40; an ability to drink massive amounts of green tea in a single sitting accompanied by the questions, stories, and laughter of women; memories of eating oily eggs with nan (bread) in a house made of dirt; enough sorrow to overflow the Mississippi as I heard their stories of war... - An aid worker in Afghanistan

Photo Credit: Hadi Zaher from Flickr.com

This book served as a reminder that God has a higher purpose for all of our lives than just contentment and comfort. 

Wrapped in the unique gifts, talents, abilities, and personality of each person who goes is the presence of Christ within our very human thoughts, emotions, and bodies. It’s His presence that is the hope of glory.

The book also includes a Discussion Guide at the end of each chapter. An excellent format for a book club or small group.

Chapter eight, “Sending Our Friends And Families” really spoke to me. It gave an inside look at the hearts of those who send their loved ones away to a distant, dangerous land. It told about how their faith grew as they had to trust God more and more with their loved one.

For every one of us who actually boards a plan, others go with us in heart, mind, and spirit. Each pays a price and experiences Christ in the journey. For some, watching a beloved friend leave is frightening and heartbreaking.

This book will teach us how to better carry one another’s burdens, both at home and in the mission field.

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I received a copy of Why God Calls Us To Dangerous Places by Kate McCord from Moody Publishers for the purpose of generating a review. This book came out September 2015. Italicized quotes are from the book. The opinions expressed here are my own.