Ministry Motherhood

I am watching my wonderful friend start this amazing ministry Wow Kids in the Emma Wheeler Projects here in Chattanooga. Check out what they are doing here and sign up to help! I cannot help but feel a tinge of jealousy. I loved working with inner city kids when I was a social worker. It was an amazing joy in my heart doing ministry with them. I always thought I would be doing what she is doing.

However, a three year old was tossed into our life unexpectedly when I was getting to that place of having kids old enough to serve in this kind of ministry with me. I have suddenly had to start over. I am now grounded again. This has hurt my heart! Again I was failing to see that I have ministry here in the home. A very important ministry not only to my own family but to a very special boy, a technical orphan. He came with many needs and it has been intense work for our family. This is ministry. Dying daily to yourself to pour out your life is ministry. We do it because Christ loved us first. It is in Him we live and move and serve.

It hurt my heart this year because I even had to drop out of teaching ESL. I loved that ministry because I love all things international. I felt so much at home there. However, I had to give this up as well this year because of our family situation. I have no women's ministry to serve in where we are placed. The joys of my heart have all been taken away regarding service. Excluding my Sunday School class that I have been able to continue as He leads but I am not holding on too tightly.

There are seasons and different times for different types of ministry. I did have to start over again but it is ok for the sake of this child! He is what God has placed in my path, the care of this orphan is the ministry. It is an entire family ministry. I often discounted ministry to just one but I was wrong. All that we are pouring into His life we must trust is exactly what God has for us at this time.

It reminds me of the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian in the Bible. Phillip was working in a very big and thriving ministry then the Holy Spirit told him to go away from it. He was led to one man trying to understand the scroll of Isaiah. Phillip then explained the gospel of Jesus Christ to Him. He believed on the spot. Phillip left the big things all for the sake of this one man that God called to Himself before the beginning of time. Do not discount what may seem like little or small ministry to you.

You never know the plans God has for this little life we are privileged to have with us. Also, we have the opportunity of sharing the gospel with his parents and family. Sometimes that is through tough love and sometimes through undeserved kindness, but is that not how God loves us? We are getting the opportunity to shine Christ as supreme to them. There is no greater ministry. These people are created in His image who He dearly loves. Who knows what God will do as we are faithful to His call.

So when I see these authors around publishing books, or speakers speaking at all these places, or even these churches with great thriving women's ministries, or missionaries around the globe, I must say that surrendering it all now for this season or forever is more pleasing to God for the sake of these lives He has placed right in front of us. It is a painful death, a death of dreams, of promises I thought I heard, but it is worth it to be on His path. All I desire is truly Him. If He has given me a voice to tell others I will do it to whoever I can. That is my ministry.

Moms, enjoy your kids, enjoy your husbands, we never know what life has in store and what each season holds for us. Just take each day as a gift and those desires God has placed in your heart for bigger things offer them to Him. You never know what will happen at the proper time, after the death does come resurrection.