A Reflection from Mission (Djam Leonard Ankinimbom MHM)
Mike Tyson’s famous line “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” was born in the brutal world of boxing, but it carries a lesson far beyond the ring. It speaks to the heart of humanity. It speaks to anyone who dares to step out of comfort into the unpredictable call of God. Missionary work and religious vocation often begin with dreams as clear as a freshly written plan: where you will serve, what you will achieve, the communities you will transform. When I applied for perpetual membership in my congregation, Mill Hill Missionaries in 2018, I addressed the following words in my application to the General council: “I seek perpetual membership because of the desire to journey with persons and people of different situations cultures backgrounds faith affiliations and beliefs while proclaiming and witnessing through my daily life that the kingdom of God is present in all cultures and uniquely revealed Jesus Christ.” But life and the Lord have a way of testing those plans. Sooner or later, every missionary and every consecrated soul encounters a “punch”: an unexpected challenge that disrupts the tidy script and demands a deeper faith.
What happens When the Beautiful Plan Meets Reality
The first stirrings of a vocation are usually filled with joy and clarity. A young missionary may imagine a warm welcome in a distant land, hearts ready to receive the Gospel, projects unfolding with divine ease. A young seminarian or a novice may envision a peaceful convent or a brotherhood united in prayer and service. These plans are not bad; they are part of the natural excitement of answering God’s call. But they are still our plans. And sooner or later, they collide with reality. Reality may come as a language barrier that makes preaching feel impossible. It may appear in the form of cultural misunderstandings or cultural shocks, unexpected illnesses, bias, lack of fraternal correction, the urge for power and leadership, community conflicts, financial shortages, uncompassionate, judgmental and inconsiderate
diocesan and congregational administration or spiritual dryness. A beloved project might collapse despite years and months of effort. The people you came to serve might reject the very message you bring. These are the punches that our plans cannot predict. They hurt, they confuse, they humble, yet they have a purpose.
The Purpose Behind the Punch
Why does God allow these punches? Because vocation is not merely about executing a personal strategy or project or plan, it is about surrender. Scripture reminds us: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). Our disappointments often become God’s appointments. When our careful blueprints fail, we are forced to let go of self-reliance and lean entirely on the One who called us. The “punch” is not punishment; it is purification. It peels away pride, anger, the Messiah syndrome, self reliance and self-sufficiency, and teaches that the mission is not ours to control but God’s to direct.
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The Gift Within the Struggle
The blows and punches of missionary life are painful, but they are also transformative. Each
setback deepens humility, sharpens character, and draws the servant closer to Christ, who
Himself faced rejection, betrayal, judgement and the cross. The missionary who perseveres
through hardship emerges with a faith that is no longer theoretical but tested and proven. As gold is refined by fire, so the missionary heart is purified by challenges and punches.
Planning with Open Hands
Missionaries and religious must still plan. Budgets must be set, language learned, projects organised and above all these, the Gospel must be preached by way of life and my word. But the wise servant now plans with open hands, ready to release his blueprints when God’s providence leads elsewhere. True success in mission is not measured by how closely reality matches the original blueprint, but by how faithfully one responds to God’s surprises. God’s surprises are not always necessarily joyful or pleasant, they also hurt and break the person.
Standing After the Punch
Every missionary will eventually face a moment when the dream collides with the
unexpected. The measure of a vocation is not whether you avoid the punch, but whether you can take it, stay standing, and continue loving. As Isaiah’s cry reminds me, “Here I am, Lord, send me” (Isaiah 6:8), the true missionary is the one who, after every blow, rises again and renews the yes to God’s call. And continues to preach the gospel with joy and love not drawn back by the bitterness of the punches but encouraged by the love for the vocation.
Final Thought
In missionary work and religious life, the “punch in the face” is not the end of the story. It is the very place where God begins to write His own blueprint for you. Your plan may falter, but the mission of Christ endures. And those who stay in the fight trusting, adapting, and persevering discover a joy and a strength that no punch can destroy or take away.
Fr. Djam Leonard Ankinimbom, MHM
