It's All About People

 One of the things I was told by fellow MAF missionaries after concluding our training last summer at US headquarters (Nampa, Idaho) was the amount of opportunities that would present themselves to minister and counsel with people. I must confess that I really did not understand what my colleagues were referring to… until now.

With the various times we’ve had to present and discuss our work, there have been even more times to listen and care for people. I have begun to understand that full time ministry even while on deputation is a life revolved around people. It has been eye opening to realize that no matter what your gender, social or marital status is, we all face daily challenges that are painful and at times debilitating. It has been during those times when a friend will call or meet with me at a coffee shop that I feel most inept and powerless in offering any meaningful advice. All I do is listen and come to the conclusion that the most important thing is to offer a listening ear to my dear friend. Life’s burdens are meant to be shared with others. Scripture reminds us, Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ- Galatians 6:2.

Little did I know when I ceased being a public school teacher that the Lord would be using this season of my life to be a friend who ministers even when I sense I don’t have life’s answers.

A friend of many years called to confide about a struggle they were experiencing. I was thankful to be there because I was no longer bound by a work schedule that would forbid me to meet and pray with my friend. When we concluded our time together, I asked her to pray for me. She prayed that the Lord would give me the strength to persevere during this season of support raising and that our family’s faith would grow as He provides our every need.

In the following verse of Galatians, the Bible also goes on to say: If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.-Galatians 6:3. Therefore, as I listen and learn to put people above a to-do list, I experience grace from God AND from others.

-Laura