The Little Things
The last day in the village in Honduras, one of the young men told me it was a blessing for women of the village to see the women on our team working alongside the men – doing the same work. I didn’t understand the significance of this when he told me this, but I understand better now. Jobs were handed out by gender, and women do not cross the gender line. I don’t know how this will impact the village, but this young man said it was a very good thing to see. What I considered normal, the village took notice.
I wasn’t sure why I was going on this mission trip. To tell you the truth, I have never done any evangelizing. I was hoping I could just go and serve other people. It ended up, that’s what the mission was all about. We helped to build a church, we painted a building for another church, and we ministered to several of the missionaries there. Did we win souls to the Kingdom? I didn’t see anything happening on the outside of our work. But we were examples of Jesus’ love because we did what we were called to do. The women and the men pitched in together and did the work that needed to be done. I don’t know the impact, but God does.
As I consider the mission trip, there is one thing that has stood out to me. God calls us to the little tasks. We are to go and do the things to help others. God asks us to do the little things as He works in it to bring about something good. Through the good works, we show the love of Jesus. We are being more like Jesus when we see the needs and fulfill them. One gender maybe able to do something better because of the strength needed for the job, but everybody can do their part to get the job done. And that’s what the team did, small task after small task.
One of the first tasks we did was pick up trash around the church. Was that significant? No, but several in the village noticed what we were doing and started picking up as well. We put it all into a pile and it was burned. At other times while the roof was being built, kids had their toe nails polished by one of the team members. Our main job was to show love toward the ones we came in contact with. No matter where we were, in the village or in the city, whoever crossed our path we wanted them to see Jesus.
If all I did was offer a smile to someone who was having a bad day, then it was worth it to go. If all I did was pick up trash or mix concrete so that the women of the village saw something new, then it was worth it. I don’t know how God will use the things that were done that week for His kingdom purpose but I am sure of this: He will do something through my smallest efforts. He is that good!
And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 (Amplified Bible)
buildingbodies4christ 