Most evenings these days, there’s a knock at the door shortly after my wife and I get home from work. We know who’s there: three young girls from our apartment building.
When my wife took an interest in them, she quickly became their hero. First she played with them in the hall. When they got permission from their parents, we allowed them into our apartment. Now they come to our apartment regularly for art projects (my wife is a former art teacher) and to play with our kitten.
But with both of us working, the visits began taking a toll. My habit of watching the nightly news was interrupted by girlish laughter and my wife was getting worn out.
One night after they left, we found ourselves complaining.
“This is too much,” I said. “I need my peace and quiet.”
But as we grumbled it dawned on us what an incredible ministry opportunity we’d been given. These girls need us. One has a single mother who works two jobs. Another is regularly locked out of her apartment until dark.
Yes, we decided we had to take breaks. But we resolved to keep reaching out. God has given us an amazing little ministry, literally in our own backyard.
The irony of our grumbling was that we had been actively searching for ways to get more involved in ministry, praying for God to open the right doors. Yet, it wasn’t until we paused to think about it that we realized that God had already provided an opportunity to minister in a truly meaningful way.
What about you? Are there “inconveniences” in your life that might be opportunities for ministry? I challenge you to open your eyes to the needs around you. Trust me. Those whom God would have you reach are often closer than you think.
