Changing Mindset (Kristine)

I had a radical thought the other day, well maybe it wasn't so radical to most of you, but it sure was a perspective changing thought. For years now I've been actively seeking out God's will for my life. Wondering, pondering, dreaming about what His plan for me is. I've looked online at different ministries that seemed awesome and gotten involved in many different ministries. All the while I've been looking forward to the future rather than stopping and looking at the present.

As I was driving down the road thinking about my life it hit me, God desires us to serve Him where we are as who He made us to be. Yes, it's good to train for future ministry, but we can't lose sight at the ministry opportunities right around us. I was so focused at finding a church and finding a place to serve that I never realized I could serve just by being me. Simple thought, yet it's so hard to do sometimes. I can serve by how I interact with my neighbors and friends. How I interact with that homeless person or how I react when someone hurts me. I can serve by helping others in their time of need and showing people the love of Jesus but how I live. THAT is serving. It doesn't need a label as "women's ministry" or "children's ministry" or "homeless ministry", it's actively living for Christ and ministering as you live out your life. It's perhaps the hardest ministry around because you have to actively be thinking about where God is presenting opportunities for you to serve Him and mustering up the courage and strength to stick your neck out in faith and do it.

I am going to strive to be more purposeful in my friendships and my interactions with others. To build friendships and relationships to be able to talk with people and hear their heart stories. To be a better mom for my daughter and a better wife for my husband and really focus on what example I am setting for THEM at home. Family is perhaps the most important ministry of all and sometimes we get so outward focused we lose sight of that.

I still hope that God will allow us to serve overseas with Mission Aviation Fellowship, but I don't want to let my desire to serve overseas shadow the work God is wanting to do through me here. We're getting closer to finding a church to be a part of and a community group to join and it's exciting to be a part of a community of believers again. We'd love prayer for our home in Oregon to get completed (we're almost done) and sold soon so we can move forward up here. God is gracious and we are thankful He still works in us.