Back with Jim

I'm still working my way through Shadow of the Almighty. I guess I thought it would be the story of Ecuador and Ecuador alone. In fact it's 200 pages before Jim Elliot sets sail with Pete Fleming in February 1952. This in itself is a lesson about how God takes his time preparing us for service. I remember the first time someone drew my attention to how long God takes with some lives. Moses, for example was 80 when he began to lead the people, Abraham was in his seventies when he set out for Ur, Joseph spent 13 years (I think) in prison and Daniel spent many years in Babylon.
This aside, here's the reason for this entry:
From a letter written to Pete Fleming about the possibility of his joining Jim to go to Ecuador.
To me, Ecuador is simply an avenue for obedience to the simple word of Christ. There is room for me there, and I am free to go. This of course is true of a great many other places, but having said there is a need, and sensed my freedom, through several years of waiting in prayer for leading on this very point of 'where?', I now feel peace in saying, 'I go, sir, by grace.' (Shadow p185)
I'm challenged by the simplicity of obedience. It's clear from the book that Jim Elliot's desire was to be obedient in every area of his life. He saw a bigger picture than a single country. While the place was important, the opportunity to obey was paramount. He'd spent many years asking God for a destination. He wanted to be sure that he was serving in the "right place".
I don't want to read too much into his comments, but to be able to describe Ecuador as a simple avenue of obedience after all he went through getting to this point sets me thinking about my own call.
Too many Christians tread water waiting for some revelation about what to do next. Perhaps what Jim Elliot is saying is to take the opportunity before you to serve God wholeheartedly. Personally my call is to serve God in ministry. My current setting is simply the avenue to do that, it doesn't define me, God does that as he shapes and reshapes my life.
I love my current setting. And I have no doubts at all that this is where God has placed me and where he wants me to be. But this is not the whole picture, the bigger picture is serving God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind. It's to "put first the kingdom of God". This must be my perspective.