I am a Missionary

Nursing.  My calling. My ministry.

I've known all my life, without any doubt, that I would be a nurse.  I wrote in my baby book at age 7 that when "I grow up I want to be a nurse".  As an adult, I can now say it is what God called me to.  It wasn't an easy path to becoming an RN, it was a road riddled with potholes and detours.  {breaking for a crying baby}  Not all the detours were bad, though.  My proudest accomplishment is having a baby at the young age of 19 and now watching him forge his own paths as he follows Christ and searches for his calling.  Ian is growing into a fine young man, responsibly living on his own.  Without my trials and struggles, the evil that tried to consume my life, I would not have him.  It was my birthing of him that kick started my pursuit of nursing school. Now I have the honor of affecting, changing and impacting lives each time I am at work.  I get to love, heal and touch people in a way that resembles Christ love for us but in a microscopic way.

 2 Cor 9:12-13 "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 

Sunday Bruce spoke on the topic of the Great Commission, John 20:21-23.  There are times that I am utterly amazed, break out in goose-bumps and/or welled up with emotion at how his sermon speaks to me at just. the. right. time. I went back to work when Brenden was 9 weeks old, a bit sooner than I usually do.  Everyone I came in contact with would ask me "why so soon?" or "I'm sure it was hard" to which my reply was, "no, because it's my calling.  It's my ministry."  When you feel so passionately about what you do, it's not a job.  It's not work.  It's as if you are disobeying the LORD in what He has blessed you with by not doing it.  Sunday confirmed that.  You see, it's not just in being a nurse that I am called to, it's at home and in my community.  At home, I am the only spiritual leader.  Most of you know that my husband is an atheist, agnostic at best.  Our beliefs differ, but we have the same hopeful outcome for our lives and children.  So I am the sole example on living a Christian life to all 5 of our kids.  I say that knowing that now Ian (our 19 yr old son) is forging a path for the little ones to follow as well. I have to be very mindful in how I portray myself as a mom and wife to my girls.  I set the Proverbs 31 example.  I must show them how to be modest and godly, not just tell them.  This truly brings me full circle to 1 Peter 3, my daily reminder.

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives"

You see, WE are the mission, WE are the movement.  Not what we do, not the church.  Christians. Us. Bruce reminded us, rather enlightened us to the fact that if we call ourselves a Christian that we are a missionary.  You can not separate being a follower of Christ from being called to spread the Gospel just as you can't pick and choose what part of the Bible you want to obey.

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed {Gen 2:7} on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:21-22)

As the church, the body of Christ, we are the hands and feet commissioned by Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to go and make disciples of the nations.  Whether the nation is another continent or in your own neighborhood, you have the power to make a difference.  As a Christian you are a missionary.  Now say that out loud. 
Go and be one.