MAMA On Mission
Much like life, I am in a constant evolution of learning and living life. The lessons I took away from our family’s mission trip are in a constant state of processing, revelation, and reflection. One lesson I took away from our time in Rwanda was a new focus and vision on life. Much like this image, the possibilities are endless. Each of my children has a vast ocean of opportunities now and ahead of them. But I can and want to be able to “frame” their futures with some level of focus. Let me explain.
If you are a parent and a Christian, you’ve likely heard and tried to strive for Proverbs 22:6 parenting, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Sadly, this is not a money-back guarantee. But it does remind me that I need to have a picture of the future in place. At least have an end goal of what I see for each of my children. Now God has uniquely designed each of my four children so I by no means expect the end result to look the same. But I have a much greater idea of the frame I desire to encapsulate their life stories.
Mission trips are eyeopeners, to say the least. And this lesson I have learned over and over again having gone on missions all around the world for almost 20 years. While these are longstanding truths, a constant reminder is needed and appreciated. It is that it should not have to take a mission trip halfway around the world to care about the salvation of others. Great Commandment and Great Commission living start at home. And even more so, no matter what the ultimate picture holds for my children, may their futures be framed in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. More simply put our family emphasizes that we want to “GO out into the world every day.” That means that we are to love God and Others, the initials of GO. And then GO is a strong and clear action word. We cannot sit by idly and wait; we need to take the initiative and GO out in the name of God wherever we are whenever we have an opportunity. I pray my kids can and will be lights for His glory.
And so that is my hope and commitment through these ongoing ponderings and publishings. I am writing from the perspective of a mama, a woman who God has entrusted with the precious lives of four incredible children. I worked hard to earn a Masters in Psychology and a Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy so that my knowledge, experiences, and gifting can help others. Ironically my degrees likewise form the initials MAMA. So the blending of my calling, character, and schooling are my base. This does NOT mean I’m an expert, by any stretch of the imagination, but rather offers the roots of my thinking. I’m simply a “MAMA on Mission”, to raise my kids in the GO frame. And from there I desire not only for my children but for the next and now generations to rise up and live out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. What would it look like, on a very practical level, for you and your children to live this out on the day-to-day?
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses? Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
- Matthew 22:36-40
“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all my commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”