It's Good to be a Servant

"For we are God's fellow workers, you are God's field, you are God's building."

1 Corinthians 2:9

I think of all the many layers of people it takes to spread the gospel. When Dana and I were leaders of the youth group we rode off in our church bus for a week each summer with our hearts and minds set on crusading for Christ.

We would lodge in different states, in cabins or hotel rooms, or even college dorms and begin our missionary work. Mornings started early with breakfast and fellowship, then worship service where the Holy Spirit would be so prevalent my toes would tingle and tears would sting my eyes. My favorite part of the day was when we would be assigned in groups of ten or twelve and go out into the surrounding communities and neighborhoods and begin our mission.

You might catch us in elderly folks yards mowing and pulling weeds, or picking up fallen limbs, to sweeping and cleaning carports or garages. We even got to paint a very kind woman's home one time that was in major need of repair. Most of the time the girls in our group got to go inside and sit and talk and pray with the owners of these homes. Our mission was always to show love to them through our deeds, but also spending time loving on them and telling them about Jesus. We always walked away feeling blessed for God allowing us to be a part of His work.

Through all of this time I would spend with the kids and the homeowners during the week, my mind would venture back to all those that did their part before we stepped on that bus. The ones who organized each youth group to be a part of this ministry endeavor, to the worship leaders and cook staff, even all the way back to our beloved church being a part of every fundraiser we had just to raise money for us to get to go. And there was also the prayer warriors that diligently prayed through the whole process. There were so many moving parts to making our ministry come to life.

God set each person's heart with a purpose that was part of this ministry who went to camp or those who stayed back at home in support of us. It started months before we would even leave. He was the Master organizer in this field, weaving us all together in different ways for His purpose. We are God's coworkers.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10)

I love you & He loves you more!

Lord, Thank You for all those years you used me in Your plan of loving those kids and reaching out with them to strangers that quickly became a part of us. Keep my heart open to Yours so that I may continue to labor with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.