Serving

I've been thinking a lot about *charity.  I won't say why, because my reasons are entirely selfish and wrong.  So I disregarded the why, and went with the how.  In January of 2013 my husband and I decided that we'd like to find a way to serve.  By "we" I mostly mean me.  In my situation, it's very easy to become cut off from friends and family.  I often feel disconnected from my church.  So we decided that one way to combat this would be to find some way that I could minister to others.  I have often said that the best way to get out of yourself and combat self pity is so help someone else.  So we decided that once a month we would deliver a meal to family that might need it - for whatever reason.  We prayed about it, and amazingly enough we always seemed to have the same family in mind.  Not to give us any credit though, because many months were for someone who just had a baby.  We are in that kind of a church.  Lots of babies.  Lots of opportunities.  Lots of growth.

It was great, but we got a reputation.  We made stromboli.  This was a bad choice (and an awesome choice) on our part because stromboli is the thing that Derek makes.  So instead of my ministering, it became one more thing for an already swamped Derek to do.  He didn't mind, of course, but by December we decided that we were done with that plan.

So a new year is upon us and I am again looking for a way to minister.  In an ideal world I would be able to teach junior church, VBS (oh how I miss VBS!), bake cookies, go to ladies activities, etc. . .  In MY ideal world.  My ideal is wrong though.  Even though those are all excellent things, they are wrong for me because that's not what God has planned for my life.  He has something better whether I choose to see it or not.  I'm not entirely sure what ministry God has for me this year.  I have some thoughts, but nothing concrete.  Please pray for me as I figure it out.  For now, I will do what I know.  I will pray for my friends and loved ones.  It doesn't feel like much, but it really is the greatest thing you can do for someone else.  Every time you pray for someone you grow to love them a little more.  It's the best thing I can do for my marriage, my children, my family, my church, my friends, and the world around around me. 

Here's my challenge - find a way to minister this year.  By minister I mean helping others.  Volunteering.  Do a meal once a month, it's that easy.  Not just for others, but for the good that is does in you.  Just once take some kids to the park so their mom can take a nap.  Help at an animal shelter or food bank.  Just once.  It changes you.  It helps you.  The best part is that you won't even notice because you'll be too busy thinking about someone else.  

I'm excited about the prospect of serving this year.  I'm excited to be able to help someone.  I don't know just how I'm going to do that yet, but I know that God can use me.  If God can use me, He can use anyone.  You want 2014 to be an awesome year?  Let God use you.

God is good, all the time.

*By charity, I mean love.  I mean helping.  I mean serving.  I mean a love that is active, not passive.  Love that gives, helps, does, and serves.  I do not mean pity.  Charity and pity are not at all the same thing.  I do not mean money either.  Monetary gifts are only one small part of what charity really means.