One thing I often hear from stay at home moms is that they feel they aren’t reaching out with the Gospel of Christ. They are so busy running a household, they have time for little else. (Remember my post on What You Need to Know About Being a Mom Many Littles?) These woman want to be spreading God’s Word, but they can’t find the time, the energy, or the babysitter. I’ve even known some women who gave up homemaking and homeschooling in order to make a greater impact on their community for Christ.
What these mamas are missing is the mission field right in their very homes!
Before you hang up on me because I’m being trite, please listen to these words written to me in an email by a Saladmaster Cookware representative who visited our home last week:
“Your family is truly amazing and I felt I was on very sacred ground being in your home. I am in homes all the time and see interaction in all sorts of wonderful families but have to say, yours is a real stand-out! I consider it a privilege to have been among you.”
That blew me away. Sure we get comments as we are walking down the aisles of the grocery store or in restaurants, but to have someone who had been around us for more than 10 minutes give such an amazing testimony to the Light of Christ IN OUR HOME blessed my busy homemaking/homeschooling mama heart!
My children as a mission field.
My mission field has always been my home. I care for children all day long, doing my very imperfect best to instill the Gospel of Christ in them. My intent is to raise them as arrows for the Lord to one day be shot out from our home and carry the Gospel with them. Thus, the name of this blog – Raising Arrows.
“Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.”
~Psalm 127:3-4
Often, a mother of young children won’t see the fruit of her labor until much later, giving her the impression she’s not really reaching anyone. However, a funeral we recently attended gave me insight into what a faithful following looks like at the end of the race…
The gentleman who was being remembered died at 93. Although he was raised in the church, he did not become a true Christ follower until he was 40. By that point, he had been married quite some time and had 4 children, but it changed his outlook and attitude dramatically. However, he lived his life as an ordinary man, doing ordinary things; the difference was that he now did it for and in the name of Jesus. Because of this, his impact on his world was EXTRAORDINARY.
All 4 of his children are believers, as well as most of their family and extended family. All of them spoke highly of him and how he ministered to them as a family. His work in the community was done in the capacity of his various jobs, and he was well-loved by those who knew him.
Once, he counseled Ty not to worry about taking the “right” job, but to do something he enjoyed and work for the Lord there. He did a lot of work in the church, but again, it was done in the capacity of the gifts and realm of influence the Lord had already placed in his life.
Visitors as my mission field.
The day the Saladmaster representative came to cook us dinner, we all pitched in and cleaned the house. That was the only thing I did to prepare. In fact, I’m pretty sure half of my boys had on jeans with holes in the knees. I had to leave the kitchen several times to change diapers, my 4 year old kept playing with one of the pans, and my 2 year old took off with the 1 pound fat glob the guy brought as a visual to explain how to cook healthy meals. Perfect it was not.
But, it didn’t need to be perfect. It just needed to be authentic.
Being a missionary is easier than you thought.
Being a missionary is a calling all Christians have and it has very little to do with your training or your location. As a mama, it is about being authentic with everyone you come in contact with from your husband to your children to the mailman to the Saladmaster representative. It isn’t about saying the right thing or looking a certain way. It isn’t about being the perfect hostess or reaching the most people. It is about living an ordinary life, doing ordinary things in the name of an extraordinary Savior!
So, next time you are tempted to believe you aren’t really doing the Lord’s work, or what you are doing is much too insignificant, remember WHO is doing the work. It isn’t you. This isn’t about you. Be faithful where you are. The Lord didn’t accidentally give you these children or this life. It was planned with a purpose. Work where you are FOR HIM, and let Him do the rest.
Suanna says
Amy,
Thanks for writing about the way I feel. Sometimes I’ve felt like you describe, but I’ve known where God has me placed currently is where I’m supposed to be. Just reaching out to neighbors through your own imperfect kids can be quite a struggle and learning lesson for how to properly interact with other people.
Lauren Beck says
Thank you Amy, as alway, your thoughts confirm the quiet whispers from God to my heart. Im encouraged and inspired 🙂 God bless you today
Janelle says
Thanks for sharing this. I remember when I was first saved at 24, I was a young stay at home mom, but I thought the Lord would suddenly call me into the mission field. The sweet lady who discipled me told me that, although becoming a full time missionary was possible, in the meantime there were two things to consider- my husband and my child. God wouldn’t call me “away” from them, and my home was my mission field. As God has added to our family, what an amazing gift it is to (imperfectly for sure!) witness to and raise up these blessings.
Katherine H. says
Great message!! Thank you for encouraging your blog readers. I guess we are your mission field, too. 🙂
Valerie Nitz says
Amy,
I have to say that this post touched my heart. I recently have been feeling that what I am doing staying home, taking care of the kids, keeping up with the house, preparing meals,and homeschooling was not for me. I had family members and family friends tell me when I was going to stop having children. For example, ” This is your last one right.” or ” Isn’t four enough” Comments such like that I come across a lot and those words can hurt. I was just speaking with my husband about what he thought I was suppose to do with my life. What job do you think I should do? His response in a perfect world I would like you to do what you are doing, but will joy. I see that you don’t have the joy of being a mom, staying home with the kids, you want more in life. You it is true I do want more in life. I want to feel like I impacted my local community, did something great that everyone would say, “Wow, look at her.” I have come to realize though that this life is not about my selfish desires, but the glorify God be an example to others of who Christ is and spread His Gospel of Grace. I need to be a doer of His Infallible Word and seek to only please Him not others. Your right the Lord didn’t accidentally give me children and a husband or this life. My life has a purpose. Thank You, for your wisdom and encouragement to Christian moms who need to be reminded that their work in the home is important in the Kingdom of God.
Becky B says
Love! Great reminders!
Thank you.
Becky
priest's wife @byzcathewife says
What a beautiful reminder! Your post makes me think of Mother Theresa- when she told people to ‘find Calcutta’ in their own neighborhood.
Amy @ Life to the Full says
This is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you so much for the encouragement and for the reminder of my purpose in ministering to my children, my home and others!
Aimee says
This is something God has been speaking to me as well. I liked your last paragraph about remembering it’s not about us, but about being faithful, and God will do the work. I understand that my family is my main mission field right now, but I feel I shouldn’t just hole up in my house and not be available to my neighbors. However, I know it will have to be God, because life is busy with littles (5 living children 9 and under) and homeschooling. Thanks for the encouragement!
Heidi Porter says
What a great reminder! I have often felt that I’m not doing enough to reach others for Christ, but I do have my 3 little ones with me all day every day asking questions and learning – both good and bad – from how I live my daily life.
mreeanne says
I am a homeschooling mom and a pastor’s wife. My children are absolutely my main mission field.
However, here are some simple things we do to reach out to those around us; I get Christian tracts or fliers from our church to pass out as we go about our day. The kids love doing this as well. About once a month or so we invite families from church or our neighborhood to dinner or to a park, esp new families and those with kids. When my daughter showed an interest in crochet I asked an older lady at church if she would teach her- I ended up with the lessons, but now that dear lady is like a grandma to my kids. We have a jar for spare change and when it is full my kids get to choose a preapproved charity for it to go to. I sometimes give Christian books to my kids’ friends and to the kids in Sunday School, and at baby showers I include a Bible board book. Sometimes I take the kids with me when our church has a neighborhood outreach, even if they only participate when they want to; just being there gives them an example (my kids are often playing or collecting pinecones while I or their Dad talk to people). My kids make homemade birthday cards for people at church. If someone I know is going through I hard time I text to let them know I am praying for them; something that simple means a lot. Of course, as a Pastor’s family we also set up for church and the kids help.
I am sure that there are lots of little things you do that aren’t as little as they seem. I would love to hear some of the things you do.
Amy says
Fabulous ideas! Thank you so much for sharing!
mreeanne says
Thank you, Amy. Your post really made me think about those who made a difference in my life. They were ordinary people who did ordinary things used by an extraordinary God- my neighbor who listened to me, my Grandma who prayed with me before bed, my great aunt and uncle who always made me feel welcome when as a kid I showed up unannounced, the families who invited us to dinner when we moved, the pastor’s wife who invited me to church…
Then I thought of the ladies (and men) in the Bible. Ruth working in the field. Martha cleaning. Tabitha sewing. Miriam babysitting. Eunice and Lois teaching. The Proverbs 31 wife planting a garden. Once again ordinary people doing ordinary things used by an extraordinary God.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58
Thank you for reminding us that we too can be ordinary people doing ordinary things used by an extraordinary God.
Amy says
This is beautiful! Thank you for your encouragement today.
This reminded me of a man I met in college, at a Bible study, who had been raised overseas by missionary parents. He spent his first 18 years of life in the Mission Field and yet his parents never directly shared the Gospel with him. He said it was his freshman roommate at college that first really studied the Bible with him.
Often I think we are all too busy with worldly things and we lose sight of what really matters. It is frightening for me to think that I might be so busy looking out into the world that I miss the opportunity to serve and witness to those in my own home.
Kate @ DCL says
I try to remind myself of this all the time! It really affects how I approach my time with my kiddos… I’m not just here to “babysit” them all day lol
Samantha says
I needed this. I’ve been struggling to do and be more. I feel as of I’m not doing enough or being enough. They are needing bible class teachers at church and I felt guilty not helping, but my baby is only 10 weeks old. I can’t do everything or be everything. So I’ve had to work on letting go of the guilt and giving room for others to step up.
K says
I needed to hear this today.