To those of us with children…. 

Here’s what I’ve discovered as I’ve been trying to love on and minister to others while I raise kids:  Kids make it easier.

Usually. 

Sometimes they make it harder. (Like, it’s harder to load everyone up and take everyone to an event when you have a nursing baby and two in diapers and one who’s potty training and one with a runny nose…)  Your family comes FIRST, so make sure you’re meeting their needs first before you run out and start ministering to others.

But…if you have kids…please don’t use that excuse to avoid all other ministries. There are simple ministries you can be involved in and your kids can make it easier for you because their cute little selves can break the ice with the people you’re ministering to. They give you something to talk about besides the weather. 

In case you missed it, I wanted to share Kari’s comment from this post: 

Let’s not miss the fact that our children are little ministers too: children with a mission. I find all the time that my baby is a “conversation starter” if you will. I get to say things like, “I am so blessed to have this baby in my life” and “God is so good” just in response to some simple questions about the cute kid in my cart.

So, if you have kids…minister with them.

The first time I realized that kids were little ministers was on a tragic day that our friend’s husband was killed in a farming accident. Asa was a baby at the time and we went to see the grieving family. I was trying my hardest to keep Asa quiet and still in my arms while we hugged the family and visited. Finally I decided to put him down to crawl because he was getting restless in my arms. He immediately crawled over the the woman who had just lost her husband. Inwardly I cringed, thinking that the last thing this woman needed was a wiggly nine month old to crawl into her lap and slobber on her.

She reached down and picked him up, snuggled him, talked to him…and then guess what she did? She smiled.

Asa, as a nine month old innocent baby, brought joy and comfort to this woman who had just lost her husband.

After that moment, I have worked to involve my kids as much as I can when I do something for others.

If you are taking a meal to someone, let them help you cook. Talk with them about what you are doing. Ask them questions like, “We’re taking dinner to Johnny’s family. What kind of yummy food do you think Johnny would like?” 

Encourage them to make cards for people. Who wouldn’t love a homemade card from your kids?

Help them learn to be comfortable around older people and sick people.

Use wisdom of course in involving your kids….but I really think that the best way they will learn to see people’s needs and meet them is by watching you and working with you. By the time they are adults, serving others will be natural to them.

Have you found that your kids (or someone else’s kids) are good conversation starters when you visit with people? What are some ways you’ve involved your kids in ministries?
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Join Amy for Finer Things Friday.

Here’s a topic that I feel very strongly about. Very.

There are people all over the place within your church walls on a Sunday morning (or any other time you meet together) that need something. They might need encouragement. A hug. A smile. An acknowledgement. A prayer. A conversation.

Someone to just notice them. Someone to say hello to them. Someone to help them find their way to a Bible class. Someone to sit with. Someone to hold their baby for them. Someone who needs to hold your baby for you. 

Someone who needs to cry with somebody. To pray with somebody. 

I don’t care how shy you are or how much of an introvert you are.  I. Don’t. Care. 

The people who need you don’t care…if you’re shy…they just need you.

Challenge yourself, practice and learn. Pray for courage and strength. Let God be strong for you when you are weak. 

Look around you and notice who needs you. Pray for God to show you who needs you. Then, GO. Just go. You can do it.

Don’t leave it up to your ministers or elders. Don’t leave it up to the “greeting committee”. That’s hogwash. <wow, laura. why don’t you tell us how you really feel?>

It takes an entire church body to meet the needs of the people God loves.

Break away from your comfort zone of friends (the ones who are easy to talk to and hang out with). You can call them and get together with them later. (For that matter…take your friends with you and reach out together.) 

Focus instead on the people who may not come back again unless they receive a warm welcome. The people who may be lonely. The people who are hurting. The people who God puts on your heart if/when you are listening. 

Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s not. But it does take practice. And hard work. And sometimes you will be worn out from the effort. Ah, but it’s a good tired. And I promise you that the more you do it, the easier it will be for you. 

Can I challenge you to work on this one if it is a hard task for you?  I really, really think it’s important. Showing God’s love to newcomers is important. Listening to someone who is hurting is important. Letting God use you as a part of his body is important.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Guess what? When you move beyond the fear and shyness (or just plain ol’ indifference) that is holding you back and let God’s power work through your weakness…you will be amazed at what you can do. God’s power is made perfect in your weakness. 

And in mine.  He’s proved that to me over and over.

I LOVE it when God proves his power.

Do you consider yourself to be introverted or extroverted? Is going up to newcomers at church hard for you? Do you feel like it’s easier to hang around your closer friends than to step out and visit with others?   Or, does this idea come naturally to you? In what ways can you improve when it comes to reaching out to others when you’re at church?

Catch up on the previous posts in this Women with a Mission series here.

So, today let’s talk about giving. Giving is another ministry we can all participate in no matter what our life circumstances are. No matter how much (or how little) money you make. No matter how many bills you have. No matter what is going on in your life. We all have something to give.

Here are the common questions:  Does God want us to give 10%? More than 10%? Should the 10% go to my church…and then what about other needs? Should I only give part of my 10% to the church so that I can have some leftover for “other needs”? There are SO many “other needs” out there. Which ones should I choose?

And what in the world does it mean to give sacrificially? 

I’ve been a part of these discussions often…and it’s a tough topic. But here’s a conclusion I’ve drawn after studying this topic recently:  I think we’ve limited our ideas of what giving means.

I think that when we hear the word “giving” we think of a tithe…the check we write to the church…the occasional food we take to the food pantry…the money we might choose to give every once in a while to an organization we believe in. All of these areas ARE a part of giving and we should absolutely be doing this.

But, what do you think about this idea…

The idea that when we use every bit of our money wisely and for a real and godly purpose…we are actually giving 100%.

We use our house for hospitality and to take care of our family. Therefore, our mortgage and utilities are a part of our “giving”. We work to eat well and take care of our bodies…as well as feeding others in our home and outside of our home as much as we can. Therefore, our grocery spending…that’s giving. And on and on about all of the things we spend money on. (Kinda makes you look at toilet paper in a whole new way, huh?)  :)   

On the other hand, if we buy a bunch of “stuff” and waste the money we have…that results in nothing. It isn’t living sacrificially…it isn’t using our resources for God. 

I haven’t figured out “how much” is the right amount to give and how often to give and who all to give to. But I’m coming to the conclusion that giving like God wants us to give might just simply mean living wisely…spending frugally…not wasting what we have…always being willing to share…

So, no more excuses about not having enough to give. And no more guilt about not being able to give more. 

No matter how much you have. You can give 100%. 

Just do what Jesus did. I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t have a very big bank account. Yet he came to earth just to give. He gave of himself. He gave what he could…his healing…his compassion…his time…his touch…his love. And he fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. The five loaves and two fish one hungry little boy was willing to give.
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Share with us. What do you think?
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Check out Finer Things Friday!

I hope through the posts in this series so far, you’ve been able to see how much you ARE ministering to those around you simply by doing your everyday tasks of taking care of your family and going about your normal chores.

Today, let’s talk about prayer. 

I don’t think I need to tell you that prayer is important. And that prayer is effective. And that prayer helps us connect with God in an incredible way. My guess is that you already know those things.

I just want to encourage you to focus on prayer as a ministry. A ministry you can participate in no matter where you are and what you are doing. Even if you are 110 years old, paralyzed, unable to hear or speak or do anything else…you can still participate in the ministry of prayer. I love how God has given us this tool that is so limitless in its use.

There’s a great book I read once, Lord, Please Meet me in the Laundry Room. The author is a mom of many…some of her children have special needs. She talks simply and practically about how sometimes the best place for a woman to have one-on-one time with God is in the laundry room. Or in the shower. Or where ever you are…doing all of the things you always do. 

I remember some of my most precious prayer time occuring during the middle of the night while I was nursing a baby. With a newborn and other little ones at the time…I didn’t have much time for other ministries…but I sure could pray. (And yes, sometimes I would doze off…and that was okay too.)

A friend of mine told me a few months ago that as she drives by someone’s house on her way to run errands or drop off her kids somewhere…she prays for the people who live there. My response was, “Oh! Do you drive by my house very often?!” She said, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.” How wonderful to know that when she drives by my house, she prays for my family. I’ve begun to make that a practice now too as I’m driving around.

I realize this is idea of prayer as a ministry something you probably do anyway…but today I still want to emphasize constant prayer and remind us and challenge us to make the best use of our time to talk to God. There are so many “no-brainer” tasks we do everyday (like washing dishes, kneading bread, throwing laundry into the machine, sweeping the floor, sitting in the car waiting for the light to turn green)…we really should be using our “brain power” while we do those “no brainer” tasks to pray for others. 

Pray for your husband. Pray for your kids. Pray for your extended family. Pray for your friends. Pray for your church. Pray for your church leaders. Pray for your community. Pray for your country. Pray for the lost. Pray for the sick. Pray for thr hurting.

Pray specifically. Use names. Pray with care. Pray humbly. Pray confidently.

God will meet you wherever you are to listen as you talk to him. He’s waiting to hear from you.

Kinda makes me want to go do a load of laundry. :)

Where and when are your best prayer times? How can you be more consistent in your prayer life? 

Last week, we started this series by talking about how our number one mission as women is our families.  By doing whatever it is that we need to do to take care of our husbands and children…we are fulfilling our number one mission.

Today I want to go to the next step…which is, of course…volunteering to be in charge of a state wide event for your church. KIDDING.  I am SO TOTALLY KIDDING. 

Seriously…the next important piece of our ministry (in my opinion) is simply working to be a light for Jesus to all those around us whenever we leave our homes. I think that sounds a bit cliche…but to me, this is the simplest form of ministry that I can be a part of outside of my home. 

Let me tell you a story…but when you finish reading it you DO NOT get to say, “Oh Laura…you’re so wonderful.”..because this truly was all God and not Laura. Uh-K?

There is a grocery store close to my house where I sometimes shop. A few years ago I got in line to pay…and the gal helping me commented on how cute my baby was (that was Malachi) and oh my there are three more boys behind your cart and wow you have four boys…so we visited a while and I went home.

The next time I went to that store, I got back in this same gal’s line. She remembered me and we visited more. She was so, so sweet…and also maybe a little lonely. Her smile was contagious and I loved visiting with her. She seemed encouraged by our conversation.

Everytime I went to that store, I got in her line on purpose. We kinda became friends. Even when I’d see her around town in a location other than the grocery store, we’d visit and she was always SO excited to see me. 

A year or so passed and I didn’t see her much…she wasn’t working at that grocery store anymore. 

Then out of the blue one day I ran into her at Wal-mart. This time she had a man at her side and was sporting a pregnant belly. She saw me and REMEMBERED me!!! She hugged me like we were long lost friends…introduced me to her new husband and told me when their baby was due.

I ran into her a few more times here and there (yay, God)…and then guess where she showed up next? 

I walked into our church building one Sunday and there she was with her husband and new baby…right in the back pew. I was so excited I ran right over to her…and she broke out in a big grin and hugged me and showed me her new baby and she was so proud. Our family sat with them…that Sunday…and several other Sundays after that…because they kept coming.

They came to our house for Thanksgiving last year. We went to their house for their son’s birthday party. They’ve had another baby since then. We’ve helped with their kids. We’ve taken them food.

I can’t think of Ernie and Melissa without either getting giddy or emotional. 

They are one of the sweetest, most unassuming couples we know. They have lived rough lives. They don’t know all the churchy etiquette. They talk in full voice during a prayer saying things like, “Oh man, he’s got crud on the bottom of his shoe.” (Except they don’t say crud.)  :)

Some of their friends are a rougher crowd. They’ve introduced us to some of their rougher crowd. Some of their friends said they might like to come to church too. Who knows what might happen?

ALL because I got into Melissa’s line at the grocery store…was kind…and had cute kids in my cart. God is so good.

So…mission number two:

When you go out…to the post office, to the grocery store, to the bank, to the dentist, to the library, to the where-ever…do your best to smile, be polite, and make other people feel loved.

This is kinda hard when you are tired or your kids are tired. Sometimes you feel like all you can do is just make sure no one gets lost and nobody falls out of the shopping cart. I get that. Just do your best.

Not everyone you smile at in the store is going to come to church and start asking you about Jesus. Good grief, they may not even smile back at you.

My encouragement today is simply just to recognize that God’s light can be seen in you when you are going about your daily tasks…and he can work through you…even in the most ordinary ways.

Because God’s ways are extraordinary.

Before we talk about the importance of seeking out what ministries God wants you to be doing for him…before we talk about all the different ministry opportunities there are for women…let’s talk about our families!

OUR FAMILIES ARE OUR NUMBER ONE MINISTRY.

If you are married…your husband and his needs are number one. God created you to be your husband’s help meet. HE IS YOUR TOP MINISTRY. It is the most blessed ministry you will ever be a part of. It may also be the most challenging. Helping to make your husband strong, confident and successful…encouraging him to be the leader of your home…working beside him in what God has called him to do. This is your most important work as a Christian woman/wife.

If you have children, your mission is to take care of them, train them, love them, and help them to grow in the way of Jesus. They need you more than any other child or adult or charity or organization outside your home needs you. 

Because your family is your number one mission, you really are “doing your ministry” everytime you do a load of laundry, wipe a nose, cook a meal, wash the dishes, clean up a mess or shop for food. Everytime you smile at your husband or read a book to your kids…you are ministering to them.

I say all of this to reassure you of two different but specific things:

1. If you feel like all you do all day is run from one chore to the next or from one dirty diaper to the other…and because of that you don’t feel like you are being productive for God…think again. The things you are doing for your family is your ministry to them and for God. (“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:31-40…)

2. If you are doing all sorts of good things for the community, for the church and for the needy families next door…but you keep telling your own kids “just a minute” and are so busy running from one “outside need” to another that you don’t have any smiles left to give to your husband at the end of the day…you need to re-evaluate your ministry priorities.

Above all…focus on your family’s needs first…their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Pray for God to reveal His great purposes to you as a wife and mother. And then listen.  You will be amazed by how God will bring to light the ways He wants you to be serving (and what you should say “no” to). He will show you want is important. 

Next in this series, we’ll talk about ways you can minister to others simply by doing the things you already do everyday. I have a GREAT grocery store story to share with you!