But Am I Called?

"Your mission field is between your two feet."

Jill Briscoe, an 82 year old British woman looked out at a room full of women in Austin, Texas at IF:Gathering 2017 this past weekend and spoke these words with such conviction and passion that it gave me chill bumps in my basement in Colorado where I watched with tear-filled eyes.

One summer when I was in college I found myself in a cramped van full of middle and high school kids returning from a week away at camp. We were dirty and tired, but our hearts were so full of Jesus. And I prayed that God would reveal to me what to be when I grew up. Very clearly, the response was, "You are to shepherd my children."

Perfect! Just as I thought! I had always wanted to be a public school teacher, so this made sense and confirmed my dream! We weren't jumping ship or changing course - onward we went! And I loved teaching so much. I loved my students (my kids - always my kids). I loved the school community that became instant family. I was in my element - I was living out what God had created me to be. I was on point and my mission field was my classroom!

But then my path changed when I had my daughter. I had agreed that when we had children it made sense for me to stay home and be a mama. Although I made this choice, I felt like I was walking away from my calling - my mission - my purpose. I was supposed to be shepherding "His children". It took years for me to understand that my calling remained, but my mission field had changed. Instead of the classroom, my mission field looked like my kitchen. And instead of other people's children, I was shepherding my own baby girls.

Over the course of the last ten years, my passion has shifted, but I am realizing that the same call remains. I have discovered that my passion and my call have broadened from little people to just people. After all, we are all children of God. We are always children who never stop needing our heavenly Father. We become easily distracted by the world around us. We have trouble admitting our guilt. We try to run. And then we feel relieved when we feel our Father's loving arms wrap around us, full of tender mercy and grace. We are His precious children.

After retiring from a two year experiment in teaching preschool, I really thought I was going to focus on my writing and my family, finally realizing how blessed I was to be able to stay home with my girlies. But, without notice or warning, I have once again said "yes" to God and allowed myself to move into a new mission field - and have lovingly embraced the people within it.

I do not know what my next step will be. None of us do. But we are all called. As Jill Briscoe not so gently reminded me this weekend, "If we are saved, we are called." And we are all commanded by Jesus to do two things:

• "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20
  

• A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. - John 13:34

And so, I will leave you with this. Wherever you are is where God wants you to be. He has you here for a reason and with a purpose. Recognize that this is your mission field right now. Love the people around you well. Share Jesus with them. And say "yes" to God.

image credit: IF:Gathering 2017