Leaving Thailand was harder than I thought it would be.
It’s interesting because most of the month I struggled with finding my place in ministry. On paper, and in my head, the idea of playing with the kids in the slums, befriending women in the bars, and working in a coffee shop all sounded like things I was going to just looooove. But I was quickly defeated by the fact that my heart didn’t click with any of these things in the way I expected. Now, don’t get me wrong- I am still 100% supportive of the purpose for each of these ministries and the injustice of sex trafficking still irks me to my very core. I’m still sorting out what my role will be in fighting that battle.
But where I found my purpose this past month was in administrative services.
Sounds kind of lame compared to the glitz and glamor of soul seeking, but in reality it was the way God wanted to use me that month. You see, we all have a specific and unique set of gifts and together we all make the world operate. I certainly don’t enjoy numbers (shout out to all my accountant friends) and bloody wounds are hard for me to stomach (thanks friends in the medical field). But for our host, Emmi, doing clerical work on the computer is a chore that is way outside of her gifting. So when I offered to help make a few documents, she was over-the-moon excited for this unique helping hand. I had found my place for ministering that month- to ease some weight off of her shoulders in this way.
Over the month, we became friends with the girls who work that café- the girls that Emmi dreams to see live the bright life they deserve. These new friends were some of the hardest to wave goodbye to during this year. I can’t really put it into words why my heart got all twisty and made water come out of my eyes when I hugged them goodbye. But something about their story of redemption, of lives turned around, of hope restored, of new life through Jesus, stuck itself into my emotional pocket and I’ll carry it with me for the rest of time.
Take note of your unique gifts. First, make sure they are actually being used and not sitting up on the shelf. Then, take a bold step and offer them up for the service of others and experience this dynamic way of supporting someone with applied action. It could change someone’s world. And remember to live life with an open heart- and don’t be afraid to cry in front of everyone… err, I mean don’t be afraid to show it.
I got them smiling, but we were actually crying when these were taken.
