Putting Feet to Faith

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”  Matthew 9:36-38

When the kids were younger, they got to participate in ministry with us in lots of ways. They served as helpers at Sports Camp and VBS at church. They acted and directed in our church’s dinner theater. As a teen, my daughter got to go on a mission trip with my husband to the country she was born in, Liberia, West Africa. Most of them have served at the homeless mission with my husband both in the kitchen serving dinner and out on Search and Rescue visiting the homeless camps. One of our sons even got to serve in the -3 degree freezer alongside my husband for a day sorting it out.

They grew up in an atmosphere of service, seeing its importance and getting to experience it alongside us. Now, as adults, I’m excited to see it play out in their lives. My oldest son serves as president of the board for the organization that we’ve ministered with for twenty years, and through which we were connected with our daughter. My middle son has chosen a career of service and begins working with a vulnerable population of people experiencing active psychosis this month. Our daughter is literally in the service industry, flying the friendly skies and making sure you are safe and hydrated 😉. And our youngest works his regular job looking out for the safety of people in their cars and in his free time he helps out friends, family, and anyone he finds stuck on the freeway (whether he should or not).

My own ability for service is fairly limited, even more these days. What I’m excited by, especially today as I look over this, is that I’ve been a part of each of these stories of service. My husband has an incredible heart for service and he feels parched if he serves less than 13 hours on any given week. I can’t keep up with that, but I can (sometimes) make hats to send out with him. I can support and encourage him in his service. I can pray for him.

Here's the Thing: I can’t serve on a board (both my son and my husband do this), or work as a therapist, or fix a car, or keep you safe in an airplane, or serve cup noodle in a homeless camp. But I empower those who do. I sent them out!

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