Do you ever feel like you cannot remember your purpose? I mean, maybe you know some of it, but you cannot quite find that big, glowing path some of those other joy-filled mothers claim to be following. At the end of the day, you have worked a full day, washed some laundry, dried some dishes, cooked some food for people living in your house, and swept a floor. Still, you are left thinking, “That can’t really be all I am meant to do, right?”
Maybe you find yourself pursuing so many paths that between keeping up with your kids’ hectic schedules, your husband’s business dinners, and an ongoing list of ministries, you end each day staring at the wall, mouth agape, fully exhausted, and wondering what in the world you accomplished.
And, please, don’t get me started on giving back to the community, because most days I think showering is about as giving as I can be to others. Unless you count how many diapers I contribute to the dump each year, the number of children I have added to the earth, or how knowledgeable I am about getting lip gloss out of my favorite T-shirt once it’s gone through the dryer.
Of course, after I am done with this line of thinking, I start feeling guilty for seeming so useless. Isn’t our thought process relentless? Am I alone in this? One minute I am overwhelmed by my calling and the next I’m just confused by it. I have proof that I am not alone in this—all I have to do is spend a few minutes with other moms to know we all need a little clarity at times.
Luckily, God subtly dropped a message in my brain: maybe my mission field is closer than I thought. I don’t think God meant it to be so convoluted.
If you are a mother, your purpose is clear. You may or may not be called to a foreign country, but you are certainly called to be a missionary.
I repeat—you are called to be a missionary.
Take a minute and look around. What do you see? Who do you see? My friend, you are looking at your mission field. Your mission field is your home, and your mission is to share Jesus with those little people who call you Mommy.
Think about it: If you don’t teach your kids to live for God, who will? Their teachers? Maybe, but not likely. Their Sunday school leaders? I suppose they add something, but you cannot reasonably expect your kids to become the men and women God intends by having them sit through an hour of icebreaker games and lessons on Sunday. The neighbors? It could happen—I pray it happens—but many times my son comes home sharing the special words the neighbors taught him, and they never sound like descriptors of God.
Let’s agree that we can’t leave this to chance. In fact, much of the responsibility of teaching children to live fully for Christ falls on the parents’ shoulders.
So, now you can stop wondering and start doing! But wait, what do I do?
You begin your mission where God has you. Right here. Right now.
Don’t get caught up with where you will be tomorrow. Be purposeful right now.
Missionary work is not for the faint of heart. We have a calling. Moms, we are called to the mission field.
