The risk of living life on Mission

Let’s talk about mission. Personally, spiritually, professionally. My goal is to live my life on mission in every one of those areas, and the past year has been so full being able to do just that. Personally, I am a licensed foster parent and have been able to provide respite care for the most joyful seven-year-old for nearly two years. Spiritually, I have been blessed to serve as the President of non-profit faith organization for the last 17 months. Professionally, I have been welcomed into a wonderful company of people who desire to serve and give back to their communities. I’ve been asked to grow in mission in ways I couldn’t have expected in the past two years, and it has provided more fulfillment and joy than I knew was possible.

Living a life on mission isn’t always joyful though. It’s a mixture of highs and lows and emotions and vulnerability that you may not expect. My February was a rollercoaster. In the period of one week, I said goodbye to the seven-year-old I’d loved on for the last two years, hosted a gala with 200 young adults to close my term as President of the non-profit, and did the communications around the release of a documentary on our company’s Mission Trip, what I would consider the most exciting project I’ve worked on in my career.

To explain the emotions and the highs and lows of last month is beyond words. The unexpected goodbye and waves of extreme grief, the joy of seeing the Holy Spirit work in our young adult community, the bittersweet ending of serving alongside my best friends, the gratitude of their efforts and watching them step up in my absence leading up to the big event so I could grieve, the excitement to release a project that has energized me and been months in the making, the unexpected joy & sorrow of a song on the radio that is covered in memories, and so much more. It was all overwhelming, but I was blessed to be surrounded by incredible leaders, family and friends who supported me this past month and throughout the past few years.

Mission work is unique. It has the greatest impact but has the greatest risk too. In being vulnerable, we can open ourselves up to more joy, more sorrow, and more heaviness as we become more in touch with those who struggle, and similarly, more reward, but it can often come with less understanding. We must lean on our faith through it all and our lack of understanding, knowing that our vulnerability is a fruit of being genuine and trusting that we will be repaid in the greater scheme of life and what is next. We must find contentment in knowing that our mission helped another, and our vulnerability is required to learn more about humanity and ourselves. Through that vulnerability, we build relationships that change us. Eventually, the service usually comes to an end; however, the bonds, the love, the trust formed are unbreakable. So, it’s not truly an end. In some ways, it’s the beginning of a new chapter, and we start it a changed person.

I have a few new chapters starting.

• Spiritually – I will be joining the non-profit organization’s Board of Directors to continue supporting the mission as a mentor/advisor as well as build relationships for the organization. I will also be leading the young adult ministry at my parish.

• Personally – My home remains open for another child should the Lord will it; however, I have appreciated taking some time to regroup and heal. Additionally, I have another exciting adventure starting, as I am headed to El Salvador for a week this June to serve and to grow deeper in missions with close friends.

• Professionally – I was honored to be tasked with leading the planning for my company’s third Mission Trip in 2024. It’s already proved fruitful, and I can’t wait go deeper in the planning.

In what ways are you serving the Lord in each of these three areas? If you’re not currently serving, in what ways can you grow in missions?

Lord, let us be your hands and feet as we grow more in missions and open up our hearts. Not our will, but yours be done.