"This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15).
I wonder if the Kingdom is truly at hand sometimes. I hear about all that goes on in the world and my heart sinks. The suffering. The poverty. The violence. The needs of the world, period. To fall into despair can be all too easy. And yet, in moments such as these, I am reminded of Who He is. And of who I am. And of who we are when we rally together to be His hands and feet.
The Kingdom of God comes here to Earth when we choose joyfully to do what we can, where we are. To pray and fast. To go where He so desires to lead us when He asks us so directly, yet so gently, to leave our nets behind and follow Him. This is the time of fulfillment.
And so I ask Him to show me the way—His way. I ask Him for the grace to run to Him in moments of despair, so that He may fill my cup and send me out so that I may pour into others. I don’t have to be in another country or in any of the places I see or hear about on the news to be a missionary in His field. I am here, exactly where I am, for a reason, and until He directs me to leave this net and go elsewhere, I will be His hands and feet in this day—in the seemingly ordinary and arbitrary moments of this day.
We are missionaries wherever we are—at school, at the office, at home, or anywhere in between. And it is exactly where He has us that we are called to bring His kingdom to Earth. Every day He has given is an opportunity to choose to joyfully serve where we are planted until He calls us on. Despair is silenced and hope grows when we simply follow His lead.
Despair is silenced and hope grows when we simply follow His lead.Click to tweet
Saint Therese of Lisieux teaches us to follow her "little way." Do you already know what that means?
Shalini Blubaugh is a Minnesota transplant living in Denver, Colorado with her sweet husband, Matt, their quite large GSD pup, Sully, and baby on the way. She is a health coach and loves pizza, because #balance. Shalini graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, served with NET Ministries, and went on to attend Law School. She graduated with her J.D. and happily leaves all things Law behind! Some of her favorites include travel, re-connecting with old friends and making new ones, the ways in which God so beautifully brings all things full circle in His time, and a good, loud thunderstorm. Find out more about her here.