It’s a question I find myself asking from time to time. Of course I realize that I matter in my home and with my family, but does it go farther than that? Regardless of your phase of life, single, widowed, divorced, married without kids, it’s still a question isn’t it? It’s a type of personal crisis I have found myself in more than once. I start wondering “Lord, am I here just to be a mother or is there more you would have me doing? Do I really matter to the world?” So I started praying for opportunities to serve outside of my home; more than just church ministries, more than with people within my small circle of friends and family. I was looking for ways to show love in a real way to others.
The Lord has answered that prayer a few times now. I have hesitated to share these experiences for fear it will come off as prideful, but I also want to be honest about the lessons the Lord has been teaching me.
Hitchhiking Woman=Opportunity
About two months ago I was driving Ethan to his Christian school, and I noticed a woman walking down Wade Hampton Blvd (for those who don’t live in Greenville, it’s a large, busy, 4 lane road). It was a misty rainy day, and suddenly I had this intense feeling that I had to go give her a ride. I was just entering the parking lot at school, and I had to get Ethan dropped off first. This gave me ample time to have quite the internal dialogue about what I should do. I found myself rationalizing all the reasons why I shouldn’t help this woman. “What if she is an axe murderer?” “ What if she asks me to drive her 100 miles away?” “Why should I do it? There are tons of people dropping their kids off at school right now; it would be better if one of these Dads picked her up…it’s safer”. Even with all these reasons, I couldn’t shake what I knew was the Holy Spirit’s direction. I finally decided that after I got through carline I would drive up to Wade Hampton, and if she was still there (honestly, I was praying she wouldn’t be) I would offer to give her a ride. This was one of those times I could not deny how the Spirit of the Lord was working in my heart. I knew to disobey would be sin. I also knew if He was leading me to help this lady; He would protect me.
As I pulled out of the school, I saw the woman still walking through the rain so I drove into a parking lot where I could intercept her. She looked at me and I’m sure she was thinking “What is that girl doing?” I rolled down the window, and asked if she needed a ride. This lady looked so relieved; she ran over to the car and said “Praise Jesus! I can’t believe someone picked me up; people just don’t do that anymore!”
Prayers Answered
She climbed into my car, and I asked her where she needed to go. She was working just up the road, about a mile away. It turns out she was a temporary employee, and if you are late you get fired. Her car had died that morning and she had no one to call so she had just started walking. Here was a woman, who was completely different from most people I know; different race, different socioeconomic status, just different. Yet we were sharing a ride together. Her name was Glinda, and she had just a lovely personality. I drove her to work, said goodbye, and never saw her again. We had something in common though, we both prayed and God answered.
I am not suggesting that all the mothers out there start picking up strangers all the time, but I am hoping to inspire you to ask the Lord for opportunities to serve your fellow man.
I Matter and You Matter
God wants to use us to do His will. He has given us His Spirit to guide us, and we must listen and obey. I have wondered since that day why someone else didn’t stop. To be honest, I was kind of annoyed with the others at the time. I’m convinced at this point no one else stopped because it was the job God had for me that morning.
You may feel insignificant. You may feel like God doesn’t need to use someone like you. I know I have felt that way before. God wants to use all the members of His Church (Romans 12). You are a vital part in the Body of Christ.
I encourage you to ask the Lord for opportunities to minister. You might not be around the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:20) on a daily basis, but if you ask the Lord to show you the needs of others; He will. It is a prayer He will answer “yes” to because it is something we know He wants from all of us. It might be going through a drive-thru and taking a meal to a homeless man peddling on the street, or it might mean taking your kids to a nursing home and singing to those who are bedridden. God says that loving the afflicted and remaining unspotted from the world is true religion (James 1:27).
If you have seen God answer in a way similar to how He answered me; share it with the rest of us. If you pray for the Lord to give you opportunities and He does; share that too!
