Today is August 20th, and I have only had 1 day of ministry.
One of the biggest things they tell racers before they launch on the World Race is to drop any expectations. They want us to be open for however the Lord is going to use us. This wasn’t a new concept for me. I know that one of the biggest causes of disappointment is unmet expectations. When we have a picture of what something is going to look like, it is difficult to appreciate or adapt to a different picture.
However, one expectation I had was that we would be going to ministry.
Let me explain. This is a strange month; we had a late start due to a 4-day launch in Atlanta, multiple travel days, and our extra training when we first arrived in India. We knew we would only be at our ministry site for about 3 weeks. All our training was informational and inspiring, but we were itching to get started. We didn’t do much the first few days we were here because it was India’s Independence Day. (How much do you get done on 4th of July weekend?)
3 days later, our group went out to organized ministry. Instead of joining, I spent hours helping cook meals for our team. You see, we have been blessed with a beautiful house (with beds!!) to stay in for our first month. Big blessings come with big responsibilities. In India, every meal is made completely from scratch, and it takes a lot of work. Even breakfast takes around 2 hours to prepare. Every day, we have four people stay home- two to clean and two to cook.
I went out to ministry yesterday, and it was amazing. (That’s a blog for another day.) But, I’ve spent today cleaning our house. Picture me on my hands and knees scrubbing the floors with a rag. I felt like Cinderella before the ball.
The teams here discussed another tip given to us at training camp. The World Race is not an 11-month mission trip where we go around the world doing organized ministry and then finishing up next June. It’s 11 months of changing our mindsets to love and minister to people no matter what is going on that day. We minister to the other people walking down the street on our off-day, we minister to the tuk tuk drivers on our way to the coffee shop, and we minister to the staff by helping cook and clean.
We were reminded that when Jesus washed feet, it was not the least of these or those who didn’t know him; he washed the feet of those closest to him. He is our example to serve even our brothers and sisters in Christ. When I spend hours every week cooking, I am ministering to the two ladies who cook for us. When I spend hours scrubbing floors like Cinderella, I am serving the staff and both teams who are living here.
It’s time for all of us to shift our mentalities. We don’t “go to ministry” or “go do missions.” Our lifestyles should be one of ministering to everyone around us, sharing the Gospel and God’s love through every word and action.
It might sometimes feel like Cinderella before the ball, but one day I will be a princess too because my Father is the King of Kings.
