This photo from two years ago just made my day when I stumbled upon it this morning. My children are such a joy!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day yesterday. I do honestly get a kick out of the “be grateful for what you have” on Thursday and “buy more stuff” on Friday thing that we have going on. And by getting a kick out of it, I mostly mean rolling my eyes at it.
At this point in my life, I recognize that my greatest gifts are often things I don’t even realize (or at least, acknowledge) I have. There is no greater thing to be grateful for than the many spiritual blessings I lay claim to in Christ, who laid down His life in my place when I deserved the death penalty.
Tangible things are what so often come to mind though, aren’t they? When we think of what we’re grateful for? And those are gifts from the Father as well. All good gifts come from Him, and it is important to acknowledge those too.
I’ve been pondering what I want this advent season to look like for myself this year, and the Lord continues to draw my mind back to ministry.
Ministry can look like so many different things.
It can look like serving the homeless a meal on a Saturday afternoon, helping setup for a church-sponsored outreach activity, or sharing the gospel with a friend.
But it can also look like spending your time cuddling with your children on the couch, without wishing that time away or thinking about your lengthy to-do list that’s waiting for you.
It can look like choosing to take a different route on your way home from the store in order to drop off a surprise cup of coffee to a friend who you know is going through a difficult season.
It can look like being willing and ready to drop off a meal to your neighbor when you find out they aren’t feeling well.
It can look like inviting others into your home for a cup of hot cider or coffee when they just need a shoulder to cry on.
As I consider this holiday season, I am encouraging myself (and perhaps you too) to not put ministry in a specific box, but rather, to allow the Lord to help me open up my schedule for the unplanned.
Though sometimes we are called to bigger things, everyday ministry does not have to be extravagant, nor does it have to be excessively time-consuming.
We have known MANY people who are not feeling well lately. Until we reach heaven, illness will always be with us, and one way I enjoy ministering to others is through the gift of a meal when I know a friend or a member of their family is not feeling well.
Because of this, I have planned for this coming season to have ready in my home: chicken broth, egg noodles, and vegetables (either frozen or dehydrated) at the ready for a quick soup that I can throw together in just a few minutes. Perhaps I will add in some frozen bread rolls or something else that I could have ready to go at a moment’s notice.
This is one area I am purposing to be intentional about ministering to those in my life in this season, and I wanted to share it as an idea that perhaps others would want to adopt. But I would also really love to hear about you.
What are some simple ways that you are intentional about ministering to others in this season or in seasons past?
What systems or plans have you implemented that were helpful for you to be available for ministry?