Finding the Mission Field Outside my Front Door

Day 21, Five Minute Friday Prompt: PARK

The walking bridge in the main intersection near our house has been torn down. Major construction to replace it has begun as well as efforts to improve the traffic flow that jams it up on the regular. A temporary wall has been built which blocks off most of the intersection and re-routes every traveler.

In short, it’s a HUGE inconvenience. My husband has had to leave much earlier and has come home late every day. I am not able to get a taxi to come get me or find space on a bus to take me down to the main chowk where I’d just end up sitting anyway.

I’ve been parked at home all week. I have felt stuck and stir-crazy. I usually only get out once or twice a week anyway, but being forced to stay home makes me want to rebel.

I’ve gotten to know my neighbors a little better since we are all home-bound. Today, I sat with a sweet older lady as I waited (and waited and waited) for my daughter to come home from school. She told me that she briefly lived in Ohio as well as Israel and Beirut (where she survived a bombing). She has come back home to see her grand babies grow up.

I remember that in high-school, I used to ask God every day to give me a mission field. I didn’t realize at the time what a brave and scary thing this was to do.

Now that I am on the mission field, I am not as faithful with this prayer but realize I need to be. Because the tree and little patch of grass where my kids play ring-around-the-rosie is a mission field. And the little concrete slab next to a little bench where the same four ladies sit every night is a mission field.

I live the Golden Rule by seeing the humans among the harvest and by noticing the need right outside my front door. My ministry may not always be formal. Sometimes it’s not fancy at all: just two people sitting on a bench chatting the loneliness away.

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Sometimes God asks me to wait. Sometimes He parks me in the lane that’s not moving. Sometimes He asks me to follow him inch by painful inch performing small acts of service to Him. I have to trust that God will use me where I am in all the little ways I’m able.

Soon, I’ll be in America, away from this mission field for a short time. I better start praying now for that daily gift of ministry. I’m guessing most days my mission field will consist of two tiny people and the ministry opportunities they bring to me as it most often does now.

Is God asking you to serve Him in a waiting period?
Are your eyes open to the mission field on your door step?

Talk to me in the comment section!

13 Comments

  1. I know I’m trying! I’m waiting for a job and trying to wait faithfully, learning and praying and preparing in the waiting period while seeing what I can do now. I can’t and shouldn’t wait until I have a job to serve God or live well. Thanks for the reminder!

  2. What a nice reminder that since we are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, we are continually in a mission field! No matter how small, God can and does use it all for his glory. We just have to show up!
    Peace.
    Patricia (FMF#31)

  3. THIS: “Sometimes God asks me to wait. Sometimes He parks me in the lane that’s not moving. Sometimes He asks me to follow him inch by painful inch performing small acts of service to Him. I have to trust that God will use me where I am in all the little ways I’m able.”

  4. I hadn’t read this when I wrote my mommy thoughts down yesterday but it is so good! I love the ministry we carry in our hearts and can share with whoever crosses our paths. I am not perfect and some days that ministry is simply sharing that imperfection with another. I am like Paul and want to be relate-able while keeping the faith in Christ. I read the above comment. That is eye opening that you are one of two believing families! I am hungry to learn more about all this so I will be poking around here more LOL.

  5. Pingback: 31 Days Cut & Paste Edition: God is the Hero of Golden Rule Living - Amber Taube

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