When you do not have the spiritual gift of service but God gives you children, anyway, it is bound to get interesting.
[Especially when those children include two boys who from the word go need butts wiped, noses aspirated, tears dried, mouths fed, beds made, meat cut, clothes washed, and every other two-word service you can think of, plus more.]
And if I’m being completely honest, it is what I always feared: that God would give me children one day and I would not know how to properly care for them in that awesome mom kind of way.
But what I quickly realized is that motherhood is all about doing things you don’t think you’re good at, you don’t really want to do, anyway.
We serve people when we offer them some part of ourselves… new at the #mobsociety
And that includes serving.
And just because you may not have the gift, or because you don’t think you are doing it right or enough or as perfect as that other mother does it, doesn’t mean you can’t model service to your children by serving from your personality, serving your way, serving, anyway.
- Taking a meal to someone…or never taking a meal and praying for them in your closet at home, instead.
- Serving at your child’s school by giving the teacher a break at lunch…or never showing up to the lunchroom but calling them one day just to say thank you for being a great teacher.
- Being involved in a mission event in your city…or writing a paragraph to a child in another country you sponsor every month to remind them of hope and bring them a smile.
Serving is not just the noticeable things; the things we think of to do with our hands. Serving is also praying. It is encouragement. It is love, hope, and to a child in another country who longs to be known…communication.
We serve people when we offer them some part of ourselves <—– (tweet that!). And in that space, we instill in our children that God lesson that our lives were given to us to be given away.
And every time we serve when we think we can’t or we aren’t good enough to or we just don’t feel like it, we chip away at our own self-judgment and bias.
We serve, anyway, God uses it, and it’s good.
Question: What are some way you serve your way, or anyway?
Mom’s Mission Minute at the MOB Society
Compassion
Some years ago, I was asked to go on a trip to El Salvador with a ministry that releases children from poverty all over the world, Compassion.
At first, I didn’t want to go.
My children were young. I was busy. There was nothing but red to-do dates on my calendar for many months, and it did not include flying overseas to a foreign country, far away from home.
But I became compelled. The idea of being a part of something bigger than myself, giving pieces of myself away to a move of God convinced me.
Because at the end of the day, isn’t it what we all reallywant?
To say I came back changed is an understatement. There are many things I could share, many things I could write…and I did, many of them, in this blog upon my return.
But the main thing I came to know?
Serving God is not about me being big. God is big and He is gracious enough to let me have a front row to seat to watch what He is already doing when I serve Him.
For a minimal monthly amount, you, too, can have this front row seat by sponsoring a child who otherwise has no hope. You can provide for them provisions such as food, schooling, medical care and most of, give them exposure to their Creator, Jesus.
Will you open your heart up to this opportunity?
To find a child to sponsor, click here:
To learn more about Compassion, Intl, click here:
To read Lisa’s blog about her Compassion trip, click here:
This spoke to my heart! We get so caught up in comparison with other mamas that we fail to see how we serve our families in ways that suits our babes and husbands. It’s not for other women and their families. We tend to get legalistic and criticize how those other families serve or not. I find myself explaining to my kids when they ask about why we do this or don’t do that or why that mom does this or that…that this is how we do things. I’m becoming…confident in my mad mothering skillz. I am trusting that this is who God calls me to be. That He will redeem anything I screw up in raising my kids. We strive to serve in little ways that will eventually grow into bigger ways and someday, we hope to really be world changers. Baby steps. It’s hard not to feel like we’re just treading water, holding out for a management position in the grand scheme of things, in the Kingdom. But it takes training to get there!
I really appreciated this! My current strategy is to serve with my kids in small acts for 15-20 minutes per day. A “good” idea has turned to a way of life for us. Those moments when I am serving alongside my boys are turning out to be the moments that I will most treasure. As we have done this, I find ways to serve with my own skills and find creative ways to fit those opportunities into our schedule. Will be sharing your post!