The Four Year Old Missionary

What is a missionary to you? Is it someone who sells all their things and moves to a far-off place that you can't even find on a map? Is it that person who comes to your church with a 2 hour slide-show every couple years looking for money? Is it someone who is well versed in Biblical concepts and extremely outgoing? What is a missionary?

I think we often cut ourselves short when we think of missionaries in the context of the above questions. I think the definition of a missionary is much simpler than we give credit to. A missionary is someone who helps in the spread of God's powerful message. I spend many of my summers overseas talking with people about God. By definition, I am a missionary. I don't think of myself in these terms but the facts remain.

As I sat with a student yesterday afternoon, I looked down and realized that one of my nieces is a missionary of sorts. She, unknowingly, is helping in the spread of the gospel. Tabitha is only four. She was three at Christmas time when she walked into a store, went directly to a notebook with a pen-holder, and proclaimed it as a gift for her Uncle Geoffrey. It was the perfect gift because I am good at not having a pen with me at any given moment. This notebook helped me solve this problem.

Yesterday I realized that the notebook is now full. I have used every page. That is rare in my notebook collection. It is full of drawings, scriptures, phone numbers, email addresses, and scribbles. Probably 98% of the things in the notebook have to do with ministerial things. Without this notebook, I could have not communicated as effectively with my students this summer.

The notebook is ragged and beat-up. The pen died several weeks ago and was replaced with a newer one. Several pages are torn and there are stains in several places. This is no matter. It just proves the worth of the notebook and is a reminder to me of my niece and the contribution she has made to the ministry in Romania.

As I reflect, I think we don't realize how often the little things we do for people can be used in powerful ways. Even the innocent actions of a four year-old can steer people to Christ. Praise God that He can grow an oak with a small seed. (photos will be posted soon).