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A Note from Monica, Connections Director
Before having children, I imagined being a family that volunteered together in the name of Jesus. We would be serving at the soup kitchen, taking meals to the shut-ins, and having garage sales for missionaries (all with smiles on our faces). As the years have gone by, being a family “on-mission” hasn’t quite fit what I originally envisioned. It’s easy to shame myself into thinking we somehow failed or chose sports schedules over discipling our kids to be missions-minded. But, I realize now that my vision of what it means to be “on-mission” was idealistic and rooted in wanting to look a certain way instead of developing a heart attitude toward serving.
Honestly, It’s been hard to figure out ways to serve as a family. For a long time, the age gap between the kids made it seem impractical to serve. One parent staying home with the baby so the other one could serve with the older kids didn’t fit my “ideal dream.” Sometimes a child just said, “I don’t want to do that with my time!” God has really shown me that being on-mission isn’t all that glamorous and it’s pretty much about the day to day. We just try and say it’s a muscle we will exercise and hope it grows stronger.
When I asked my kids this week what it means to be on-mission, I got different answers. Not surprisingly, each of my kids answered in a way that fits the way they like to serve. One child said, “I love when we get up on a Saturday morning and take breakfast to those in need. I like talking to people. I liked getting to know people each week and feeling like we could help make their day a bit better.”
Another member of my family said, “I think being on-mission means doing things behind the scenes like cleaning the church. No one knows who is cleaning it, but it gets done. Being on-mission is doing things in secret so you don’t get the credit!”
And another member of the family said, “being on mission is when you take meals to people, but forget to make dinner for yourself!”
Here’s what I realize when it comes to being on-mission … it’s about praying to see the needs of people around you and asking God to give you a willing heart to jump in and serve however He calls. Some like to build relationships. Some like to serve behind the scenes. And others like to help with practical needs. We are all gifted in different ways. So one member of may family likes to serve meals to people, the other wants to clean up the kitchen and the other wants to sit at the table and eat with the families. All of these are equally valuable. The most important thing is that we just try and see where we can serve and celebrate how we are wired. Being willing and trying to stretch ourselves is a good place to start.
There’s no rhythm to how our family serves. I can now see that we probably won’t arrive on some perfect opportunity or ministry in which our family finds our groove. It will be messy. One person will love it and the other will prefer to spend their time elsewhere. But, I hope we will all get a better understanding that God has called us to serve those around us in His name. It isn’t convenient and doesn’t fit our schedule. We are horribly inconsistent when it comes to specific places we serve. But, I take hope in knowing that if we are stretching the muscle that God will use it. He will make us more aware and provide opportunities in our daily lives because our thinking has changed. Maybe the service projects serve as a catalyst in thinking about the needs of others over my own wants on a given day. And that translates in the day to day mini-mission moments. I’m glad that He has shown me that being on-mission doesn’t have to be complicated or big. It’s just being willing and obedient.
- Monica
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