I think it’s pretty obvious that our cultures have a huge role in how we view and do things. I’m not saying that everyone from America thinks the exact same but we do have certain mindsets that whether we notice them or not are very ingrained into our entire culture. It doesn’t matter if you were raised in Maine or California I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve heard the phrase “Time is money”. We also seem to be problem solvers, we constantly ask what’s the best, fastest, most sufficient, reliable way to get this task done? But as I’ve been doing ministry, especially in other countries I have started to realize how vastly different I have to approach things. For a while at the beginning of all of this I very much had an “American” mindset as I faced new and different challenges everyday. I came in with this idea that if I could identify, problem solve, and put to action that I would be doing “ministry”. I came in with the idea that ministry was a checklist, almost like a Sunday chores list and as long as I completed each task then this year would be a success. The American mindset can also give you frustration when it seems like nothing is being done, and your just simply wasting time. Which is why so many times when ministry was just sitting with someone so they didn’t feel alone, or praying over someone who wanted to feel God’s healing touch or love to protect their family I became antsy. Sometimes I would even be jealous if other teams got to build, fix, or pass out things like food and clothes for their ministry. I wanted to be the one to fix everything. Don’t we all? I came on this trip because “I” wanted to be the one to change or fix people’s problems.. Pretty Self absorbed I know.. And let me tell you with that mindset, this year was quite the humility check. Some days I came home feeling like I didn’t get anything accomplished. I would ask myself “what even is ministry?” Because we would say everyday that we were going to do ministry, yet nothing was getting checked off my list. I want to share a story with you about our first day of ministry in Honduras.
We arrived to the place we would be volunteering this month. It’s an adult special needs home. No real straightforward task. We were told each day would be different. So day one I was handed a weed whacker, they pointed to a few areas for me to cut and off I went. Now this is a lesson I felt I’ve already learned yet here I was mapping out what this day of ministry would look like. Start here, cut in this pattern, then that patch of grass. I figured I could bang this out in just the first half of the day. My check list had been created. It wasn’t even 30 seconds into cutting when the weed whacker cut out.. Comes to find out it’s not the best quality tool. It has the power to run for about 30 seconds to a minute before having to pull start it again. Now as you could imagine this became pretty frustrating. “Time is Money” I thought as I became more and more discouraged each time it cut out. (Not that I’m getting paid but you guys know what I mean) Not only was this happening but there was a man who lives at the home standing next to me all day. Every time the equipment stopped he would run up, give me a high five and a big hug, then he would say “Fiesta, Piñata, En La Manana” (Party, pinata, in the morning) at least 10 times, then hug and high five me 3 more times.. I’m not joking when I say this happened every 30 seconds. I was there for 6 hours….. He was equally excited each time he told me, with the biggest smile and warmest hugs. Don’t get me wrong I loved it, but we had very different emotions, the weed whacker was getting the best of me. I think he was the only thing keeping me sane. I started to tell myself more and more as the weed whacker stopped that I wouldn’t be able to complete my “ministry task” today. Yet each time it stopped here came Ninu to hug me, give me high fives and tell me about the party tomorrow. It started to hit me half way through the day that everything I needed to do today was getting done. Ministry wasn’t just cutting the grass. It was also spending time with Ninu, receiving and giving him hugs, being an ear to listen to him speak about his party. All of a sudden this disappointment of not completing the task just vanished.
God began to show me that it’s not about the checklist. It’s about just seeing people where they are, for who they are, and loving them however you can in those moments. It’s about being the hands and feet of Jesus. Yeah sure, it’s important to do that manual stuff, it’s a huge help to those your doing it for. But is that all that ministry is? No, and that’s why I feel it’s so strange to try and mix the “American” and “Ministry” mindset. Because they are the opposite of each other. We are raised that life is go, go, go. If your not getting something done then your wasting time. Which for business is great, but not for relationships with those around us. Sometimes we can forget that the beauty of life is the times we get to just sit with people and love them. Those are the memories that we will cherish, not the time we spent in our cubicles or at work. I want to encourage you today to just slow down, take a breath from the hustle and bustle of life, enjoy the beauty that is all around you. People are waiting to be noticed, to be seen, to be loved and heard. It’s hard to remember that when we get so focused on money, or responsibilities. In a culture like America it can be hard to let your guard down because there is so much competition. In the words of Ricky Bobby “If your not first you’re last”. But honestly that’s exactly where I want to be. Jesus had all the opportunity in the world to be the richest, most “successful” business man in his time. Yet day after day he lowered himself to those around him to make them feel loved. That was his mission, that was his ministry. Through that he was able to bring kingdom in an incredible way. So here I am, an American missionary trying to mix the two mindsets that can sometimes confuse and frustrate me, yet teaches me new lessons each day. And I couldn’t be any more grateful. The first thing our host told us this month was “No matter what you find yourself doing, even the little things, invite Jesus into it with you, or else what’s the point?” And thats somthing we learn yet have to remind ourselves constantly. Dont forget to remind yourself of that today. Cause I know I have to.
