Suddenly, without room for my typical doubts or skepticism, I sat in awe of the ways in which the power of the universe moved.
Undeniable.
Inexplicable.
Truly perfect.
Over the first few days, our three-team community got the opportunity to extensively interact with both the locals, and one another. We were asked to rest following our 76 hour extravaganza, so we did; no specific ministry was on our schedule for our first two days. Though, the simplicity of our schedule during this time allowed us to indulge in the greatest display of ministry: relationship building. We got to know one another on another level; we got to hear of each other’s inadequacies, as well as our gifts.
On the second day we had to rest, two of the local pastors met with the team leaders to look over our upcoming schedule. We went over ideas including cultural norms, community vision, a rundown of Mokhotlong’s greatest struggles and our part in their ministry.
Our first ministry opportunity was on Sunday, in which we were tasked with providing two testimonies and a sermon. Considering it was our first opportunity to speak, I offered to give the sermon. I love speaking. Although it can be slightly nerve-wracking to set the tone by being the first one, I felt it would be good for me.
At first, I didn’t know what to speak on. I watched the community in an attempt to determine what may be effective to address. With only three days to prepare, I found myself incapable of bringing an answer to fruition. I then chose to look internally at our teams. Over the time we were given to rest and interact, I noticed one constant issue: feelings of inadequacy. Comparison began to creep in as we stepped into a new community; Comparison puts a wall around the greatness, the extraordinariness, we each were created for. There is a purpose behind the hand-crafted creation of God.
It is quite easy for humanity to coin themselves as ordinary. Just ordinary, nothing special. More than likely this is our perception at times because it is also humanities reality; we are all simply ordinary. But we each have been given something, gifts, capable of changing the world around us.
Just ordinary we are, nothing special. Though we are viewed as extraordinary in the sight of heaven. We can never forget our gifts were given to us for a reason; not to be hidden, not to be stored up, not to be used for personal glory, but rather to be given to God. Ordinary gifts, blessed by God, surely become extraordinary.
Our teams needed to be reminded that they are more than adequate, they are perfectly imperfect. We may seem quite basic to ourselves, but we are perfect in the sight of the one who created all. I watched as people hung their heads, chose to be completely unaware of their gifts, allowed a lie of ordinariness to ooze out and infect those around them.
So I decided I was preaching on gifts.
I wrote a sermon which touched on the goodness God beckons us towards, how God takes our wide array of diversity and turns it into kingdom unity and how our ordinary, blessed by God, becomes extraordinary. I was adamant in explaining to our teams that the focal point of my message was geared toward us more so than the community we were immersed in. I didn’t know If this applied whatsoever to their current series, or topic, but I gave it anyways; and as I did, the pastor of the church approached me, shook my hand, took the microphone and reminded the church family he had not told me anything to preach on. He reminded them that he had given me free reign on sermon options, and somehow I preached on the very idea their church had been speaking about. They had the same struggle we did: seeing our adequacies, and recognizing our gifts.
Blessed by God, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
As easy as it may be to call it a coincidence, I couldn’t! God beckons us towards that which is best for us. You see, our skepticism only effects us; doubts don’t hinder the radical goodness of God.
