Many of us have the desire to help, to reach out. I have served on mission trips in the past and always love to see God at work through service. I also know that not everyone is called to serve in 'mission trip' capacity, either unable to travel or time constraints, and sometimes just plain "not my thing, don't want to". We should take care not to judge when others don't serve the way we do.
I also hear (a lot!) "why spend all that time and money to go far away to help when people all around us are suffering? Why should I go help "them" when I need help myself?" All valid questions, and worth looking at. Each of us is different and God calls all of us to do and be something. I picked up this book today, and the reading is touching on that very subject:
Our Unique Call
So many terrible things happen every day that we start wondering whether the few things we do ourselves make any sense. When people are starving only a few thousand miles away, while wars are raging, close to our borders, when countless people in our cities have no homes to live in, our own activities look futile. Such considerations, however, can paralyze and depress us.
Here the word call becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems, and help all people. But each of us has our own unique call, in our families, in or work, in our world We have to keep asking God to help us see clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we shall discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time.
From: Bread for the Journey, Henri Nouwen 1997
Calls to the mission field are important and needed. Look around you - your mission field may be driving someone to a doctor appt, picking up groceries, sitting with a friend in their grief or maybe just listening to a family member when they want to talk. Perhaps it is babysitting for a single mom when her child is sick and she needs to work, or volunteering at your local food bank or community center. Your call comes in different ways than mine, and different than those who travel to far away places - ALL are important and there are blessings in each. How are you listening for your call during this season of lent?
The first step in hearing your call is to listen.......
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