Here in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the sun rises early and sets quite late. My team takes advantage of every waking moment by hopping out of bed bright and early to go to the gym. After our morning workout, we rush on over to spend 8 hours at ministry. Once our 8 hour shift is over, we head home to cook dinner, hang out, and go to bed. Then we do it all over again!
This month is filled with routine, in a city that isn’t what you would picture as “Africa” at all. We have nice grocery stores, a gym membership, drinkable tap water, and we even use USD here as the currency. Some days I don’t even feel like I’m on a mission trip at all.
A week into being here, the Lord slammed me with some truth. Ministry is NOT just 8 hours a day! Ministry is NOT a job! Missions are NOT supposed to look any certain way! My whole life (and yours too, dear reader) is a mission. Here in “the Zim”, in America, in third world and first world countries alike, my only mission is to look towards the Lord, and let Him take control. To wash clothes, cook, clean, and play with kids at our children’s home is NOT my mission, instead it’s just a way I can serve while on my never-ending mission.
The cricket-player I had a 5-hour conversation with on the plane was my ministry. The family I’m living with now is my ministry. The smiles and waves to strangers on the street is my ministry. To truly love God and selflessly love others is my only mission, and my only ministry is to serve others however God leads me to.
The takeaway from all this, dear readers, is that you are currently on a mission. It doesn’t matter if you don’t do anything but go to work everyday. It doesn’t matter if you don’t “feel” like you’re serving in any special way. It doesn’t even matter if you’re on the streets of India or working on Wall Street. All that matters is that you are constantly looking towards the Lord, allowing Him to mold your heart to look like His. Through the change He brings in you, He will also bring change to those around you.
Much love!
Hannah Grace
