The time is quickly approaching for baby Noah to arrive! We are less than 10 weeks away from his due date and still have so much to accomplish! We are finally getting around to painting his room, putting together the crib and changing table, and making sure we have everything we need. It is such an exciting time for us as a family, and we can’t wait to show off our newest addition!
As my husband mentioned in his post last week, Noah’s arrival in May will prevent us from being able to travel and work on the field in New Mexico this summer. Bummer! Anyone who has spent much time with me knows how much I enjoy and look forward to working with One Way any chance I get. In fact, after the plans fell through for us to become missionaries to Arizona back in 2010, I have struggled day in and day out with the different path God chose for our life. I often wonder how my life in Columbia, Louisiana could make a difference for others. How do I justify spending countless hours each week working when I could be some place developing relationships with people, allowing God to use me to spread His love and disciple others? How can I leave the sense of community that is built on the mission field by the participants and leaders involved? Many times after a trip, I find myself in a bit of a funk; I have left something that my heart so desires and come home to my mundane life. But who says my everyday life has to look and feel different from my life on the mission field??
Over the past three years, God has been revealing to me His plan for our lives in Columbia, Louisiana though I refused to accept it so many times. How could God trust me with His people in another state, culture, or country if He couldn’t trust me to do His work here in my own backyard? We are not called to the workplace simply to do our job and go home at the end of the day, but to use our jobs as a means to develop relationships with others and be the Light to them! There are people we come into contact with each day that need Jesus just as much as the family living in a third world country do. There are work projects we can do for those living in our own neighborhoods, just as we do for those on the field around the world. We have friends and family here at home that have a longing for the same sense of community we establish while on a mission trip.
What’s the difference between home and the mission field? It’s easy for us to step out of our comfort zones when we have been transported to a new place and share similar experiences with other trip participants. We’re able to open up about how God is using us and pray together over situations we are facing. But at home, especially living in a small town, people know us. It’s much harder to lay down our pride and really open up to people we see on a regular basis. Joseph and I began to really pray about this together, asking God to give us a group of friends and family with whom we could pray, worship, study God’s word, and share our joys and struggles. Having this kind of community at home has not only brought us closer to each other, but it has brought us all closer in our personal relationships with God. We are able to challenge each other and hold one another accountable for our thoughts and actions.
Not only have we sought out biblical community at home, but we are also reaching out to those we work with or see regularly. This has completely changed my outlook on my job! Instead of viewing work as something I HAVE to do, it has now become an opportunity for me to be a Light to my co-workers and others that I come into contact with. I strive to share about Jesus just as I would if I were on the mission field half-way around the world. Because my home IS my mission field. God has planted me exactly where He needs me to be. The only thing holding me back from being used by God was ME.
My prayer for you is that God would reveal to you ways that your home life can begin to embody all that your life would while on the mission field. Develop a sense of biblical community with your closest friends and family. Find ways to share what God is doing in your life with your co-workers. Look for families in need near your area and meet those needs. Where you are is exactly where God intends to use you. Just let Him!Meghan Duckett has been serving with One Way Ministries for several years. She is currently a teacher in Louisiana where she lives with her husband Joseph. They are expecting their first child in May. We are so thankful for the influence and leadership Meghan has brought to the ministry through the years. We are eager to see what the Lord has in store for her and her family as they continue to follow His heart and obediently serve Him where He has planted them. Please pray for Meghan and Joseph as they seek to be the parents God has called them to be and continue to share the Gospel and show the Gospel in every occasion of life as they journey with Him daily!
