Opportunity

My son played baseball for the Angels. A little league team made up of 11 boys, one of whom never played until this year.  When the season started the team was typical of a bunch of boys thrown together and trying to get their act together. Three straight loses and it looked like they weren’t going to be much of anything. I personally wasn’t concerned about the wins and loses, but was concerned that their development of turning into baseball players wasn’t up to par.  But they continued to practice and to play their games.

Then one game day, it all changed. The pitcher, Julian pitched a great game. He was in a groove and pitched a no-hitter through four innings.  When he left the game, it was due to pitch count and not being able to finish. We won the game by a large margin and after that we couldn’t seem to lose. My son continued to struggle batting but for him, it’s about enjoying the game, more than being good at the game.  For him, a great thing was getting to walk to first base. He knew that once he got on base he had a chance to score. And scoring a run, for Isaac, was the greatest. 

I find it the same with my ambition for being in the ministry. I was told as a kid, crying an praying a the altar that I’d do great things for God. Well to me, great things was going to church, memorizing scripture and getting a star for each accomplishment. When I responded to the call of God on my life, obviously, “greatness” took on a new dimension.  I wanted to be the best servant of God that I could be. I dreamed things about ministy and then dreamed about the “dream ministry job.”  So doing great things for God was to lead a couple of missions trips to Mexico with youth and young adults and then live a couple of years in Cambodia where I would teach English to medical students in hopes they would want to attend a small group where we studied the Bible. 

The biggest difference between those who are doing great things for God, who have hundreds if not thousands reading their blogs,attending conferences where they are speaking, or using their material and those of us who have applied for ministry positions and been rejected 60 times (that would be me), is OPPORTUNITY.  Opportunity to use our giftings. Those who would have liked to hired me but couldn’t pay me enough to retain me so they decided not to hire me in the first place.  So I’ve relegated my life to doing some great things even though few will see it or hear about it. I am breathing life into a handful of children ages 4 to 6 years old. I am a volunteer. 
I’ve learned that no matter how much we try and make volunteers feel important, most of the work a volunteer does, goes unnoticed.  Now as a believer, it is easy to say, “But God notices.” Very true, but making a difference in someone’s life, Sunday in and Sunday out deserves high honor.  And even some time off. 

I’ve met some ministry leaders whether they be pastors, directors, ministry leaders, or assistants, who have had to actually ask people to take time off. Kudos to those who find selfless volunteerism, a great thing and feel a break is not needed. However, eventually even the best of the best need a break.  Pastors take vacations. Volunteers need breaks. 

Those leaders who have had to ask and sometimes demand that people take breaks have found some volunteers were actually waiting for someone to tell them to stop what they were doing. They honestly didn’t know they could quit.  When given the opportunity to step down, they almost ran out of the building. 

Doing great things for God and having a gift set that takes you to the noterity level, where almost everything you do is noted and sometimes copied, is sometimes an enviable position to stand in. I would love to work at a growing church, on a multiple staff church, where everyone knows the direction the church is going and vibrantly does their parts. That’s not what I get to do today.  I get to breathe into little children’s lives, the evidence of a loving, grace-giving, forgiving Father.  I get to tell them that Jesus wants to be their friend forever. I am very cool with that.

To those of you who pastor churches with lots of people and lots of staff and lots of volunteers, please make note of them and tell their stories or let them tell their stories.

I  no longer dream of opportunities, rather I live for the moments that where I can be used.  If you are ever given an opportunity to something for God, small in the eyes of fellow-believers, but always BIG in the eyes of God, go for it. It will change your life.