C
I'm only seventeen, and I'm a senior in high school. For the past few years, it has seemed like God has been telling me that I am meant to be a missionary. That's what I want to be as well, wholeheartedly. I've done research, found programs that I can join after college, and I know what it entails, or at least I know as much as one can without actually being a missionary at the moment. I believe this is my calling, and I want to accept it.
The problem is my family. My father is atheist and my mother believes that while there may be something out there, she's not sure it's God. Both of them are together in the thought that I should not let God be everything to me. My father believes this because he believes anything religious is simply stupid, and my mother believes this because she doesn't think any one thing should be everything to you. Both of my parents have made it clear that they view my religion as dumb and overenthusiastic, and have both stated that they will not support me if I want to attend a christian college. In order to qualify for the missionary program I want to be a part of, I have to attend a seminary institution. My parents don't know I want to be a missionary, and my original plan was to attend a normal college first, and then become one. I realize now that financially that isn't possible. I can only have a certain amount of debt to do this, and attending a university simply to please my parents is out of the question.
My dilemma is that I'm afraid to tell my parents what it is that I believe that I'm meant to do. I'm afraid of the anger, disappointment, ridicule, lack of support. My parents have always been my support system, and I'm afraid to lose it. I know that God calls us to love Him more than the world and more than our worldly families, but He doesn't make that easy.
I need prayer and advice from any and everyone. Thank you.
The problem is my family. My father is atheist and my mother believes that while there may be something out there, she's not sure it's God. Both of them are together in the thought that I should not let God be everything to me. My father believes this because he believes anything religious is simply stupid, and my mother believes this because she doesn't think any one thing should be everything to you. Both of my parents have made it clear that they view my religion as dumb and overenthusiastic, and have both stated that they will not support me if I want to attend a christian college. In order to qualify for the missionary program I want to be a part of, I have to attend a seminary institution. My parents don't know I want to be a missionary, and my original plan was to attend a normal college first, and then become one. I realize now that financially that isn't possible. I can only have a certain amount of debt to do this, and attending a university simply to please my parents is out of the question.
My dilemma is that I'm afraid to tell my parents what it is that I believe that I'm meant to do. I'm afraid of the anger, disappointment, ridicule, lack of support. My parents have always been my support system, and I'm afraid to lose it. I know that God calls us to love Him more than the world and more than our worldly families, but He doesn't make that easy.
I need prayer and advice from any and everyone. Thank you.
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