(I swear some training camp stories are coming… for anyone dying to hear them! haha but this is not one of them)
One of the things emphasized at training camp was living in the moment. Wherever you are at, whoever you are with, you should constantly be doing ministry. Your life should be ministry. If I’m going to be honest, I get a little lazy with this. I see certain things as ministry and other things as “not ministry” and I often try to use certain times and places as “rest” from my “real ministry”. None of this is true and I think I have suffered spiritually from it.
That being said, when I got back from training camp I was really devoted to investing in my one month at home before launch. I have been helping out with my high school cross country team, just going and running with the guys most mornings in July, and this past Tuesday the Lord told me He had more in store for me than just running with these guys. There is a ministry opportunity here; the Lord has not revealed what it is or who it is to, but I know that He has plans for me to use my running with the high schoolers as ministry. He wants to use me to do great things for His Kingdom in that place.
Another place that I wanted to invest in is a ministry called “King’s Harvest”. This church serves lunch every weekday and breakfast on Saturday to the poor in my area, usually serving around 125-150 people each meal. My brother had previously volunteered there and my dad currently does but I just never felt the need to get involved the few weeks I was home throughout the year, but coming back from training camp I realized that I really wanted to invest in this ministry. So yesterday (Wednesday), I went with my dad to help serve people and let me tell you, God was still speaking to me. Some of the things He told me…
“Each one of these people is my beloved child made in my image.” – I wasn’t viewing the people as poor or homeless or needing this meal. I just saw many blessed children of God walking by me. I felt like I was literally serving Jesus with every person I served. There was no condemnation nor any sympathy. I saw them as God sees them.
“Ministry here is important” – as I said before, sometimes I use times in my life as “rest” from my real ministry and I know this happened a lot the last couple years whenever I was home. I was an RA in college the last two years so I always felt like I needed or deserved a rest from that ministry whenever I was home, which led to me being lazy in any ministry opportunities at home I could have participated in.
“Prayer and worship never cease” – I was lifting some of the people up in prayer who walked by me, but more importantly I was constantly singing. I was singing and worshipping God with some/many of the desires I had for His beautiful people I saw in front of me.
“Make people feel loved” – it is one thing, a good thing, to show up and help out by serving a meal. It is a good thing; but a better thing is serving a meal AND being Christ to the people there. I realized that was easily accomplished this first time by smiling and simply asking how they were doing. I think it helped them feel normal, human even, that I cared to talk to them and ask how they were doing rather than looking at them because they needed a free meal.
Essentially what I am saying is that the work that the Lord has been doing in me has been eye-opening. I don’t feel like the same person who even left for training camp 2 short weeks ago. God is doing an amazing work in me and He desires to do an amazing work in you if you open yourself up to Him… and don’t forget, “stay in the moment” because God is in all your moments and beckoning you to follow Him and do ministry alongside Him wherever you are at.
