I am a Missionary... and so are you!

What is a missionary? According to Google, it is a person sent on a religious mission, especially one to promote Christianity in a foreign country. I think most people would agree with that definition. These individuals give their time, talent and resources to serve communities. With their help, homes and schools are built, clean water is made accessible, children are taught English and the Gospel.

A lot of emphasis gets placed on these kind of trips and rightfully so. The needs are great and the experiences can be life changing. I can understand the appeal and the benefits are undeniable, but when the focus becomes so driven towards one type of mission, opportunities closer to home can be easily overlooked.

The church we attended for many years had strong ties to several non profit groups, all offering opportunities to travel to the countries they supported.  It was strongly recommend that everyone pick one of them and go. While I appreciate this idea and have prayed for and even helped sponsor others on their journeys, personally I knew it was not for me. I admit this caused me to wonder could I ever really be a missionary?

Luckily I found my answer in a Bible study my husband and I were a part of. It focused on finding a personal mission field. I had never heard this idea before and I loved it. What I discovered was not only did I have a mission field, I had several. My family, the school I work in and other moms of boys are all mission fields for me. I realized that the passions, skill set, personality and nature that God has placed in me fit these areas, therefore I can be effective.

The reality is, we are all missionaries with mission fields all around us. The places we live, work, study and spend our spare time are all full of opportunities to live life like a missionary. Sometimes you don't even need a passport to do it, just a change of attitude and a commitment to be more intentional on a daily basis.