When you think about going on an overseas mission trip, what do you think about when it comes to the “experience”? – The orphans that long to be loved? The un-reached people groups that need the gospel? Or bringing aid to impoverished nations? When signing up for the World Race, all of these things resonated in my mind. All of these things I thought would be a part of my daily life and be the experiences that would well-up inside of me and continue to break my heart for missions.
Well sometimes, ministry is not always what we expect. Ministry isn’t always what we think it should be either. The past three months have been a true testament to this in my life:
Month 6, I spent in Romania snowed in at a summer camp. I beat carpet squares to get the dirt out, stacked and chopped wood, and shoveled loads of snow.
Moving wood that was once covered in snow to be stacked.
Photo Cred: Kip Deaton
Month 7, I was in Serbia serving a church. I washed a lot of windows, picked up rocks and threw them into buckets, beat plastic off chairs, and helped paint a fence.
Beating the chair.
Photo Cred: Chris Britton
Painting the fence with the Kipster.
And now I’m in month 8. I’ve again washed a lot of windows, changed bed linens, vacuumed and swept the hallways, raked the yard, and pulled lots of weeds.
Raking the yard.
Did I think I was going to be doing these menial tasks when I signed up for the race? No. Am I always enthralled to do these tasks? No. Am I sometimes bogged down with the question of “How am I bringing the Kingdom to this place today by washing this window? Yes.
I was in the kitchen the other day talking to the very wise Dada Britton. I told her about this blog and how I think the Lord has changed my view of ministry throughout this journey. She brought up what she’s been reading in Luke, chapter 9, specifically, when Jesus feeds the five thousand. And in that moment, it all made sense.
If you haven’t read this chapter, the disciples and Jesus withdrew to Bethsaida for some “alone time”. However, the crowds learned about this, and followed them there. “He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing” (vs. 11b). Later, the disciples came to him and told him to send the crowds away so they can go into a nearby village to find food and lodging because there wasn’t any where they were. And Jesus replied, “you give them something to eat” (vs. 13).
What they needed, Jesus gave to them. They needed healing – He healed them. They needed food – Jesus made sure it was provided.
These past three months, what have our contacts needed? My hands and feet. They don’t need my words, my wisdom, or my ideas. They need my hands and feet.
It’s hard. It’s not always what I want to do or how I want to live out this experience. However, it’s what they need and that’s how Jesus is calling me to bring the Kingdom to this place. And it’s in these tasks, my true character as a Christian is revealed. It is in the mundane tasks that my true self is on display. The way I handle the work, the way I speak about the task, and the attitude I choose to have while doing it. Is the light of Christ shining through me?
I’m sick of the devil trying to discourage me or speak lies over me like, “you could be raking the yard at home” or “you could make your own bed at home”. So on Tuesday morning I prayed that God would empower me with His spirit and give me the strength I needed to persevere through the menial tasks. How did He do this? Through His word.
Psalm 110:1: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”. This verse did it for me. My enemy is the devil. And that day, and the days to follow, he’s been my footstool. GET UNDER MY FEET SATAN was shouted from my mouth all day.
You can have my hands and feet. Poppa, I will labor for your love so that it may be shown through me even through the menial tasks. Even through the mundane schedule. Whatever they need, I will comply because I believe that no matter what the ministry, your Kingdom is still coming to that land. I trust you.
