Create Good: Harvesting Quiet Gifts of Good

I grew up in a family entrenched in ministry. I saw shepherding and serving as difficult and thankless. My parents often burned-out on doing good but never pulled back for times of respite. The older I became, the more I resented their focus on other people, especially since my siblings and I floundered around spiritually.

My mom cross-stitched Galatians 6:9 as a Christmas gift to hang in my dad’s office. The verse read, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” How could they be so committed when the Church was such a mess?

When I was fifteen, the church suffered an ugly split. I watched over a decade of my parents' lives burn into a pile of rubble. I ran as far as possible from God (and His people) as I could.

It took relocating and many years before the smoldering cleared and my parents were brave enough to return to ministry. Now, my mom is an elementary principal of a large Christian school, and my dad is an education and missions pastor at a local church. At least six days a week, almost every waking minute of their lives are committed to serving others. I can’t wait to see the heavenly harvest from their work!

I never wanted to be like them and talked about this with my counselor many times. Sporadically, I returned to the Church and slowly began to serve--taking meals to others, watching children and joining in small Bible study and fellowship--but it was hard, and it frightened me.

However, my life drastically changed when I became chronically ill. Homebound and bed-bound, I pleaded with God to give me Kingdom purpose. When I was tempted to self-pity, I prayed for others. I joined an online community of people who experience similar pain and physical disability. I also wrote Facebook messages, emails and cards of encouragement. In addition, I faithfully wrote a blog about finding His hope in our pain.

I will never forget a night I was on my way East for another big surgery. Heading to bed, my husband passed me as I sat on the sofa, surrounded with a pile of note cards, book of stamps and my Bible. I couldn’t rest until I encouraged a few people I knew who were suffering and in despair. He shook his head and said, “You are just like your parents.”

I thought about this deeply while we were apart. God has rearranged every aspect of my life to make me a Mary, not a Martha. Yes, my life became the antithesis of my parent’s active service. But in His infinite wisdom, God used my sickness to reveal my own unique ministry: being still and quiet and using words.

Creating good through our gifts is not tiring; it’s exhilarating. It’s the air we need to live Christ and love like He loved us.

I’m all in.

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