Mundane...or Extraordinary??

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Walking into the office today, I just knew the day would not be so great. It started with finding out that around half of our staff members have the flu. Apparently, it started with some of the kids last week, and now it’s getting passed around the adults. That meant that even the ones that did make it into work weren’t their usual bright and shining selves. Then add to that the fact that my work for today was not that inspiring: hole punching. Yes, that’s right. Hole punching. We have a whole bunch of new material that we are looking to implement at Genesis, but it all came in loose leaf pages, so all of those needed to be punched and stored in binders. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the curriculum before we send our teachers to be trained in how to use it.

But back to the hole punching. Growing up as I dreamed about my future ministry in Africa, I can’t say my dreams included hole punching.
Praying over sick children? YES!
    Preaching to droves of little black faces? YES!
        Leading a child to Christ? Definitely.
But bending over stacks and stacks of paper, drilling little holes out of them, and building up an army of paper cuts? Not so much. But there I was. And the truth is, it was needed. Just as much as teaching, preaching, or praying.

Now I won’t lie to you. At first my reaction was, ‘Seriously? Wouldn’t my skills be better used elsewhere???’ And then that gentle voice reminded me of the truth: that each and every task done for Him is important. That my willingness to finish the menial must come before my eagerness to accomplish the significant. Because when my heart is truly that of a servant, the menial does actually become significant. And while I definitely won’t go down in history as the girl who punched 1,000 pages in one day, I know that my Lord saw my work. And if that work was done well for His approval and glory, then I know He was pleased!

Being a missionary isn’t all excitement and adventure. Most of being a missionary is just being available: Available to tackle the mundane, as well as the extraordinary. And you never know how the Lord is going to use our faithfulness in the little things. Not that I need to know how He is using it….it’s enough to know that He is pleased.

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 4, 2013 at 8:50 PM

    That is very profound, that being a missionary involves being available! Thanks for the new insight.

    ReplyDelete

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