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FIRST-PERSON: A mother’s mission field


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–What is it about spring that drives a mom to cleaning, organizing and general home maintenance? Perhaps it is the desire for a fresh start after a dark winter, or it could be the longing for our homes to be as bright and carefree as the world around us.

Recently, I found myself armed with drop cloths, brushes and a stepladder as I tended to some much-needed interior painting. While I worked, I listened to a talk show on Christian radio. “I feel like I’m not doing anything for God!” moaned one mom who called in. “I’m just stuck here at home with four kids, wiping noses and doing laundry. Nothing I am doing is making a difference for God.”

I nearly fell off the stepladder! How could this dear woman think that being a mom was not making a difference for God? Mothers make a Kingdom difference, every day. At first glance, wiping noses, doing laundry and even painting a bathroom are tasks that may not seem to make a huge difference, compared to the work of a missionary or a minister. Do not be deceived! Every mom has a mission field, a ministry platform, and multiple outreach opportunities.

— Moms have a mission field. Where do people get the idea that missions is a glamorous job? My friend Mary just completed her first year of serving as a missionary teacher to Palestinian children in Jerusalem. She went overseas to wipe noses and dry tears, something that moms do every day. Mary says, “Your mission field is the next lost person you see.” That little person asking for juice or needing a diaper change is your mission field.

— Moms have a ministry platform. Candidates want the votes of the soccer moms. Most books are written to a female audience. Advertising caters to women. Moms have a platform, and the world has noticed. Just like a pastor who takes on the challenges of the pulpit every Sunday, mothers take on the challenges of the breakfast table, the carpool, and the PTA. Are you speaking with wisdom? Is faithful instruction on your tongue? Because you are the mom, you have your children’s attention. Because you are a mom, you have a voice that needs to be heard.

— Moms have multiple outreach opportunities. Birthday parties. School field trips. Team sports. Church activities. Do you see the potential for building relationships? Your house serves as a mission outpost for every friend your child brings home. Your kitchen table can serve up love from a heart that genuinely cares for others. Your desk at work can radiate God’s love with a framed verse of Scripture, a dish of candy to share, and your own big smile. Even your car can serve the Lord. When it is your turn to carpool, be sure your car is clean and comfortable, and play Christian music to create an atmosphere that both kids and adults will immediately recognize as different.

How can we look at our daily lives as being anything less than missional? Are you viewing the role of motherhood from the right perspective? Missionaries make their mark on a culture by living among and working with the people. They make a difference by their love. In the same way, even a pastor cannot make a difference unless his congregation has seen his life, and his actions have proven him to be real. Perhaps your attitude could use some spring cleaning. Get rid of the clutter of wrong thinking. You are Christ’s hands and feet. You are making a difference because you are investing your life, your love, and your gifts in the eternal souls of the children around you. You are right where you are supposed to be, Mom. Wake up to your mission field!
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Rebecca Ingram Powell is a pastor’s wife, mother of three, conference speaker, and the author of several books including “Season of Change: Parenting Your Middle Schooler with Passion and Purpose.” Learn more at www.MomSeriously.com.

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  • Rebecca Powell