Ode to Ben VanMeter

Chazown: root: Hebrew.
def: a dream, revelation or purpose

Yesterday, at approximately 4 p.m., my friend Ben VanMeter left this hemisphere to go to Malta (official motto: Pass the Straits of Gibralta, then head on to Malta).

He's doing something that most people don't have the courage to do: he's following the dream in his heart. He and his wife have a passion for languages. They're both linguistics majors, and one of the more entertaining things is to listen to them talk about the differences in words and idioms in different cultures. They talk about stuff like tongue placements on the upper palate with a passion and energy most people only reserve for professional sports.

It's refreshing to see people like that.

What can you realistically do with a degree in linguistics? Well, translate, for one. Ben and Jess have this dream of one day going to a people-group in some far-off country and translating the Bible for them in a way they'll understand. Since they believe that the Bible is God's word and is God's story and contains a message that's more important than any other that could possibly be told, this is more than just a job. It's their purpose.

So Ben and his wife Jess, one night, were sitting around a table with friends in Mendocino sharing about what they were hoping to do in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years. Suddenly, the got the realization that if they wanted something to happen, they needed to act.

So they did. They set a timeline and now, 11 months later, they are on a plane with a year's worth of salary saved up and a hope that Malta might be a springboard into other adventures. It's a good starting point: Maltese is a language closely rooted in Aramaic languages, which will give Ben and Jess another language family to study. It's also a bi-lingual country, which will make the transition easier. It's also in close proximity to three continents.

There's a theory that the way to find out what you're supposed to do in life is to look at your talents, your passion and your experiences, and see where they all intersect. That's where you need to be. Ben and Jess seem to have really done this.

Another way to find out where you're supposed to do is to figure out where your great passion meets the world's great need. Ben and Jess seem to have done this, too.

I think all of us are a little afraid that we won't be seeing much of Ben and Jess anymore. I know I am. There's a mourning process I think I'm going to have to go through for Ben. He and I poured a lot of hours into creating silly skits for our church.

But I think even more, we're all a little afraid that there are Maltas in front of us, and we're not getting any closer to getting on a plane.

So, I lift up this post to Ben and Jess. Sometimes, when people leave for a long journey, people pray, "May God be with you." I'm not going to pray that, because He already is. That's like praying, "May there be air where you are going."

So in thinking about this, I'm going to pray this for you:

"May you feel God with you every single step, no matter where He takes you."

I think that might be better. And I also pray that I might find my Malta someday. And find the courage to get on that plane, just like you guys did.