Everyone Can Do Something

Everyone can do something…

While we were still deciding whether we were going to take the offer of a position at our present church, there was a question and answer time with the church.  One of the questions that was asked of me was whether my health could withstand the demands of the ministry.  This was a very legitimate question as I do have some health issues.

How I responded to that question was this:  I minister wherever I am.  If I had energy, I could be up and around and involved in what was going on.  If I was exhausted, I could sit and talk to someone.  If I was bedridden, I could send emails or blog some encouraging thought the Lord has given me. I didn’t/don’t have to be in perfect health to be used as the hands and feet of Jesus.

In fact, as I write this, it is 3:19 in the morning. My husband and son are asleep next to me. My daughter is asleep in her room. …and yet, I can not sleep. I  tried to sleep but I just couldn’t. I decided I just wasn’t going to waste my night, tossing and turning. So here I am, with this thought to share.

...and the more I think about this subject, the more I believe, that most people believe that their ministry is the one that the church hands out to them. Maybe it’s nursery on Sunday night, ushering on Sunday morning OR maybe it’s the children’s class they teach.

What if your health can not allow you to faithfully be involved?  What if there are no open positions available? What can you do?

There is good news!!!

There is something for everyone.

Remember that some of Paul’s greatest letters were just that. They were letters. They were letters written from prison. He is still ministering to us today and yet he was not in church.

Our pastor is a quadraplegic and I’m sure some have thought that He could not do what He is doing. But yet, when we are weak, the Lord is made strong. Pastor Bobby’s ministry is touching many and he is exactly what we need at such a time as this.

So, what are your weaknesses? What are your strengths?

Are you bedridden? Are you sick?

Write letters of encouragement. Spend extra time praying specifically for everyone around you. Send emails and texts to your loved ones. Be a light in your community (those that you see often). This may be the doctors, nurses and patients around you.

Do you lack energy? Are you not able to be standing, serving or teaching?

Invite people (notice I didn’t say friends) to your house or to a local area. Sit down and listen to their stories. Just listen. Then speak truth into their lives. Give them Scripture for their struggles and gospel for everyday life.  You don’t have to have a lot of energy, you just have to sit, listen and speak, when the Lord leads.

For the one who feels she just don’t fit into the regular church ministry positions (or maybe all of them are full).  There are loads of things that you can do. Here are some ideas…

1.    Adopt a family. Pray for them. Remember them during special holidays. Invite them over to your house. Be a blessing to them. Invest in their lives.

2.    Invite families over every week/month. Depending on how often you can do this, invite a different family over every week/month. Get to know their stories. Open your home to them. Bless them with hospitality.

3.    Be benevolent. Find out who are the widows, single moms and others who are struggling. Buy groceries for them. Pray for them. Go out of your way to help them when you can. Offer to help by mowing their yard, maybe even cleaning their home or doing other tasks for them.

4.    Pray for your church family.  Pray specifically for each one.

5.    Love on your neighbors. Reach out to your community. Remember them with a gift at Christmas; take over cookies and a smile. Wave at them when you drive by. Get to know them. Be a light to them. Pray for them.

6.    Nursing home ministry. Go to an area nursing home and ask for permission to love on the older folks there. If you can sing, gather them around the piano and sing some of their favorite hymns. Go talk to them. Spend time with them. Pray for them.

Simply just care about people around you.

Look at what you can’t do, acknowledge that and be okay with that.

Then look at where you are and what you can do and DO IT!!!

Be the hands and feet of Jesus, whether you are laying down, sitting and or standing up. – Rejoicing in the Present