callings, missions, marriage, children, singleness, life

In reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper, I was encouraged to take a goodly amount of time to really evaluate my life and pray and meditate and think and ask God just where He wants me in terms of missions, and just what is it He wants me to do with my life. Well, I came to a conclusion, although I don't fully understand the balance between the choices we make in our free will and His absolute sovereignty over our lives. My life has been thus: I went on two missions trips to Mexico in my teens, and saw rural towns in need of a church. I thought that I could remain single and work with some team to get a church built. That was my plan . . . for about a year. Then I met the love of my life, and my plan changed. I was married at 20, and all missionary endeavors outside of our neighborhood flew out the window. Jay was and is happy and settled in his job, and I felt as comfortable in my role as wife as a fish in water. We were both working. We had a schedule for kids . . . 3, to be exact. Then I went to the doctor and found I had a degenerative disease, and needed medication. So, out flew our plans for children. I quit work a while later, and now stay at home, travel with Jay, take care of our dog, write on my blog, send cards to shut-ins, have friends over for tea, spend time with my family, read a variety of literature, pray, take photos, go hiking and kayaking when I can, go to parties, throw parties, and quite a few other things. So where is the mission work in my life? How do I share the great Gospel of God? I believe I do that by supporting my husband in his missionary work at Grace To You, where he helps to spread the Gospel through radio. I can't tell you how many Christians I've met who were first introduced to the Gospel through Grace To You's radio ministry. I also do missionary work when I go shopping or walk the dog, and stop to chat with neighbors, invite them over for tea, and just be an example of a woman content with what she has, modest, one who is not of this world. Psalm 113:9 says God settles the barren woman in her home. That means my role is to be settled and content in the home that God has put me in, with the man He has given me.