Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Next Question ...

If money and time and rearing young children didn't stand in the way, what kind of ministry would you want to have? What would it look like? Who would you help? How would you help them? Why them?

You couldn't have asked about chickens, could you..?! Talk about a tough question! When I first read this, it was initially hard for me to put myself outside of my current situation and imagine things differently. If I were not rearing children (hmm), I would probably be working, so wrapping my mind around the "what if"'s in this question was tricky! But, I get what you are saying.

I have always had a heart for women. Okay, back up. If I look back on my life in college, for example, the jobs I took in the summer were always ministries for women or girls. I worked at a girls' home in Vermont after my freshman year of college and completed my internship at a crisis pregnancy center during my last year of college. My degree is in Family and Human Services, which focuses on helping the widows and orphans mentioned in the book of James, and my original plan was to proceed straight on to getting my Masters in family counseling, and to go from there. 

Naturally, that plan completely changed and I chose to have a family first, before getting a higher degree.

(No, I do not regret that decision, in case you are wondering. I feel, nay, I know that I am exactly where God wants me to be.)

Now that I actually am a Mother, my heart is drawn to help other mothers, too. If time and money and child-rearing were not an issue, I would love to go overseas and spend some time working with women who have been rescued from the slavery of sex-trafficking. To see their daily lives, talk to them face-to-face about their story. I have no idea what my actual service would look like, but I know that I would want to just go. If only to gain a better perspective on how I can help, here. 

God has put the itch on my heart. And I'm inching closer to move from "waiting" to see what He has for me, to "doing" what I feel He is calling me to do. I don't think I am supposed to go overseas. Not right now, anyway. I think there are opportunities to serve all around me, I am simply blind to them sometimes because I am wrapped up in my own bubble of nap time and changing diapers. But the stirring is there inside of me and door by door, He is showing me small ways in which I can serve. I don't know what the bigger picture will look like, but I do know that I have leaned on the crutch of "I am tired and have young children" just a bit too long. I only have this one life, good grief, I may only have this one day, and I want to be sure I am at least seeking ways to help others. Preferably, other Moms. God has been faithful in keeping my heart open.

Hmm. Did any of that make sense? I guess I'm trying to say that if time and money and child-rearing were not an issue, I would want to go somewhere and serve. But because time and money and child-rearing are an issue, God is showing me very obvious and very important ways to serve here. I'm just bummed that I didn't seek these opportunities sooner!

Good question. Good, good question.

Have a lovely day!

2 comments:

  1. Love this. Take me with you when you go. :)

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  2. I already had dibs on the chicken question, so she had to come up with something! :) Love these thoughts. I often feel like it is such a balance between putting my first priority of family in its proper place, but then not using it as an excuse to avoid serving in other ways God might call me. Encouraged by your search for service in the midst of your other demanding life roles!

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