OK so, for roughly 8 almost 9 years now I have been preparing to be a missionary and work overseas to share the mercy and grace of Christ. Every action was weighed against that end destination. I saved instead of bought, my schooling was based on this, and now I am here. In the states, a wife and a mother.
This is not where I expected to end up.
And this is not at all what I prepared for.
You see, I have a love for cultures and am generally quick at learning languages. My passion and heart are for those overseas in foreign lands. And this is a work in progress, believe me, but I'm being honest when I say that I am burdened more for the tribe in the middle of the jungle than I am my next door neighbors.
So believe me when I say that in no way was I "ready" to become a wife and mother. I didn't learn to bake from scratch, I didn't learn to sew, I couldn't keep a plant alive much less grow a garden, I don't separate our laundry by color, I don't know how to decorate, and am not good with staying frugal, but here I am, and these skills would have been wonderful to have learned earlier.
Yet, as I learn to become a better provider for my family on the homemaking front, and am learning all the nuances of being a mother, my eyes and heart have been opened and exposed to a truth that I have never known before.
My family is my ministry.
My husband, my children, these people that I see on a daily basis and love most dearly are my ministry. I am called to love my husband, to respect, encourage, follow, uphold in prayer, and care for him. And our children, we are called to point them to Christ, cherish, protect, provide for, and love them.
With every breath and action I am to be pointing my family to grace and mercy and the redemption through Christ. And sometimes this is by caring for my family's material needs, like clean dishes, fresh food, and clean clothes. For our children, through every hug, kiss, and story during the day I need to be conveying Christ's love, mercy, and grace to them.
For Matthew , this will look a little different. I need to trust him, love, encourage, pray for, and more importantly respect him. In today's world, women are told that they can and should assert themselves by doing everything and, almost, anything a man can do. We aren't told that we need to respect our guys. Men are portrayed as incapable, selfish, stupid beings who can't multitask as well as women and are *almost* worthless.
But my dear friends, that is a horrid lie. Our men are strong and capable. They can be wise and compassionate, they are made in the image of Christ and even though they are sinners just as you and I are, doesn't mean that they are in any way inferior or that as women we are superior beings.
We are called to respect our men. And until we start tearing down the lies of this world in our own hearts then we will never be able to encourage and love our men as we should.
So, I may not be where I expected to end up, and I may be closer to New York City than the tribal people that I love so dearly. But that does not mean that I am in a limbo state waiting until a certain time to profess Christ and minister to others.
Your family is your ministry. Colossians 3:23 (NLT) says "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Christ died for each and every one of your family members and mine. So why are we being selfish rather than selfless? We should be caring for and ministering to our families, whether through material provision or spiritual encouragement.
I know that realizing this has influenced how I approach my tasks such as laundry and dishes and cleaning. This has become a way for me to physically show Christ's love and my love to my family by caring for their needs. To show that I love them enough to provide a safe haven for them to come home to, or relax in.
Our home is a place that I take seriously. I don't want just anyone waltzing in. Now don't take that as an inhospitable spirit, but rather taking my responsibility as a mother and a wife seriously. I don't want to allow someone into my family's safe haven if they only plan on tearing my family apart. I won't invite a woman who has the hots for my husband, or a child's friend who is not pointing them to Christ. You see, just as caring for my family physically is important, their spiritual walk with Christ is even more necessary to encourage and protect.
In the end, my family is my ministry. This is where I am to be serving first and foremost, however that manifests, until the end of my days.
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