You want me to engage a single child I’ve never met who doesn’t speak English? You got it. You want me to stand up and lead a room of kids of all ages in a song on the spot? I’m a pro. You need me to create a team chant? I can do it in 2 minutes. You need me to share a bible story or lesson without any warning? Never fear; Bridget is near.
Improvisation. I’ve found it is one of the few things that is indispensable on mission. You do what you can to prepare, but know that you will endlessly be out of your depths, surprised, confused, and asked to step up to tasks you aren’t ready for.
So what do you do when that happens? You push yourself hard to be like Paul. He says, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessing.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
Doing all things is hard. It’s really, really hard. And it usually takes a lot of improvisation. I’ve stepped into a safe house for 51 abused girls, stood in the middle of their circle without a clue for what was to come next. Yet, I knew that I wanted these girls to laugh and have fun. I knew I wanted them to feel cared about and share the love Jesus has for them. So I improvised. I pulled games from the back of my mind. Some failed, some worked.
We started a dance battle between the two sides of the room. Because of poor planning the sides were unbalanced: older girls who knew how to dance on one side and younger inexperienced girls on the other. I saw the younger side floundering and uncertain. In that moment those girls needed a squad leader to bring them together so they could be confident and have fun. I choose to be all things for those girls; game leader, missionary, role model, and now dance squad leader. So, there I was, improvising a full 3 min. dance for a group of girls I didn’t know and couldn’t communicate well with. All eyes on me. (Ahh!)
Do you know what the result was? I came home spent, feeling a deep exhaustion because I had poured just that much out. But those girls laughed. They gave me the opportunity to share my testimony and sing them some of my mother’s lullaby. And they shared some of their stories, too.
Paul played every role to reach people with the gospel. I want to do the same and I am learning to embrace the spontaneity and improvisation that being all things for all people requires because I want to share the blessing of a life with Christ. I have experience it firsthand and just like Paul, want to share in it with others.
