23 Sep God’s Love Woven in our Daily Lives

So much of ministry is not about what we plan but how we respond to the situations we’re faced with each day. In the middle of our “good” plans for ministry the “God” moments show up—spiritually recognizing the difference of that one “o” is very important!

Recently, our prayer shawl ministry was busily crocheting the afghans they give to so many people in need in our community when a lady walked in. Several members of the group recognized the lady as a friend from the community and knew her family had suffered much loss and grief. Now her sister had passed away.

With tears in her eyes, she handed the ladies some bags of her sister’s things: her yarn, crochet patterns, and an unfinished afghan, saying she didn’t know what to do with them but hoped they could be of use to someone. Upon seeing the unfinished blanket, the ladies immediately recognized how much time, energy, and care had gone into the work of art and made plans to finish the afghan and return it to the lady.

Instead of one person working on it, they decided it would be a stronger representation of God’s love for the family if several of them worked on it together—to collectively weave their care, prayers, and community support into the piece. More than 10 of them worked for 10-15 hours, finishing the very large piece and presented it to the lady as a keepsake and treasured heirloom from her sister.

I remember hearing someone say: “Earnestly pray for God to show you ministry opportunities each day, and you’ll be surprised what you see.” Ministry can be as simple as that: Praying for God to give us eyes to see the needs around us and wisdom to know how to respond. We all want to see God working in our everyday lives…He is!

Every day and all around us. Sometimes we just need to slow down and put spiritually-focused lenses in our glasses, so to speak, and we will be amazed at what we see. This simple prayer, each day, helps us live lives of availability—we become LIVING prayers.

I’ve found journaling one way to put on these spiritual lenses. Sometimes at the end of a day I sit down and tell God, “I don’t know what to write about, God. I don’t really see how you were working in my day.” I feel a nudge to write about something in particular—sometimes something seemingly insignificant. In the process of writing, God pulls back the veil of the physical world to reveal what’s really happening in my moments. I see His love is enfolded, and His fingerprints are all around me.

Truth be known, though, I don’t often write at the end of my day. I don’t unpack my journey with God as often as I should. I know it’s how He teaches and uses me, but life gets so busy; everything else battles for my attention. Sometimes I don’t pray, “God please show me the ministry moments in my life—show me how You’re moving and working. Help me put on Your heart of compassion. Open my eyes and place on my heart the things You’re concerned with—the things You would have me to do today.”

I’ve tried this prayer before. I know this works. If I’m honest, sometimes I’m afraid I WILL see OVERWHELMING needs around me. I’m afraid I’ll crumble under the sadness, and I worry I won’t have the time or energy to follow through.
It’s much easier in this world to just hang on to this fast-paced train of life than it is to try to slow it down.

But we, as Christians, have a higher calling. We are called to be in the world but not of the world. We are counter-cultural, no matter how awkward, unpopular, and controversial that may feel at times. It isn’t easy; it sometimes makes enemies, but we don’t answer to this world or anyone in it.

We answer to God—we have proclaimed Jesus is LORD of our lives. We are to live in this physical world with spiritual lenses in our glasses—to take time to pray, see, and respond to what God is showing us; we can trust His strength, comfort, and grace to envelope us all the while.

“God, give me discipline to slow down and see. Give me courage to have a heart broken with Your compassion. Give me wisdom to know how to respond. Make my life a living prayer to thee.”–Amanda