The Mission Cont... Serving

As I continue reading "The Mission of Motherhood", I am struck by how much this book resonates with my soul. It screams, "Yes, this is what I want Eden to know!!" This feeling is followed by an overwhelming feeling of "How do I instill this in my child, when I don't even have it all figured out yet?" Thankfully, I can rely on God to continue to refine me and my parenting, so we move forward with our parenting journey, we learn along the way.

For me, however, this chapter called the "Ministering Mother" is my absolute favorite. Growing up, I always wondered what my spiritual gift was. Seems like so many women around me had the hospitality spirit. Not me. It just does NOT come naturally (though I continue to work on it!). Administration? L would laugh - not organized enough. Serving? Yes!!!!!! I feel so moved when I serve, thus my career in social work and my involvement in our church downstate organizing service opportunities.

But here we are. I'm now at home with a kiddo. In a new church. Without a "job", where serving was my work. Wanting to spread my "service wings", but not knowing how or where. I was so convicted as I reading this paragraph:

"Service to others in need is an essential part of training and instructing our children in order to cultivate in them a loving and obedient heart. Serving others is a way to live out what the Bible would have us believe in our hearts. It puts feet to the gospel.

Clay and I have found, however, that service is best taught through a combination of modeling and instruction."

She then quotes the verses in Matthew that have always stirred by heart. "Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to Me... Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me."

I also remember the verses in Isaiah that I held onto as social work became my chosen field of study. The verses stated, "Encourage those with tired hands, strengthen those with weak knees."

But again, how do I implement this in a practical way? I've been praying that God would present me with opportunities to minister, as a way for E to know that this is a way of life for us. We live in service, as this is what God has called us to do.

God has been so good to answer my prayer, and just today I am heading over over to a family's house to model this. I am continuing to pray that my head and mind would be willing, and that my eyes would be open to see the opportunities. I am also praying that E will see this as a way for her to one day serve selflessly.