I feel like one of those unseemly things.
Unpresentable.
With some food smeared where it shouldn't be,
and pulling my young fit-throwers along with me.
If you've ever had a more presentable role,
and you now spend your days cleaning up smashed olives,
and wiping dried milk off faces,
and kissing wounded backsides,
you'll know what I mean.
This morning, I looked into Ephesians 4:11-16, Romans 12:3-8,
and 1 Corinthians 12.
Ah, the gifts to the body.
Apostles.
Prophets.
Evangelists.
Pastors.
Teachers.
Those who equip the saints for the work of the ministry,
who edify the body of Christ
until we all come to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a perfect man,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ...
by which every part does its share,
causing growth of the body
for the edifying of itself in love.
It feels so far removed from peanut butter and jelly.
"We have many members in one body,
but all the members do not have the same function,
so we, being many, are one body in Christ,
and individually members of one another.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
let us use them:
if prophecy, let us prophesy...
or ministry, let us use it in our ministering;
he who teaches, in teaching;
he who exhorts, in exhortation;
he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence;
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness..."
Pondering these passages, I began to pray.
I'm doing a study that brought these passages up,
and it asked, "Where are you in this picture?"
I'm home.
I'm too busy mothering people whose needs are still pretty intensive
to even be available to the body.
Where am I?
I'm reading to my kids.
Not even things I care about reading,
just sounding out the letters that make up three-letter-words.
I'm walking really slow, because my feet are tied to their short legs.
I'm reading through a manual written for parents
to help us teach safe driving practices to teens.
My oldest is starting drivers' ed, and parents are necessary in the process.
Where am I?
Peeling cooked potatoes for a potato salad,
and vacuuming crumbs from the dining room.
I'm showing someone how to clean a shower head,
and telling them to fold some laundry.
I'm working on making high school transcripts
even while being overwhelmed
by the enormity of starting it all over again for a two and four year old.
The finish line was in sight,
but I've been picked up and put back at the starting line late in the race.
My friends have kids in college,
and I still have some in diapers.
My life revolves around messes.
Somehow my attention fell on the purpose of these gifts.
Equipping saints for the work of the ministry.
Edifying the body of Christ.
Bringing them into the unity of the faith
and the knowledge of the Son of God.
The fullness of Christ.
That every part would do its share.
Causing growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
I flipped over to 1 Corinthians 12 and read,
"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of activities,
but it is the same God who works all in all."
Diversities of activities. Operations. Things wrought.
And then these gifts:
Word of wisdom. Logos sophia. Divine wisdom.
Word of knowledge. Logos gnosis. Divine understanding.
Faith.
Gifts of healings. Medicine. Remedy. Cure.
Working of miracles.
Kinds of tongues. Languages.
Communication with those who have no understanding of my meaning.
Interpretation of tongues.
To understand what is otherwise gibberish to me.
One and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Apostles, prophets, teachers,
miracles, gifts of healings, helps,
governments, language, and interpretation of tongues.
Here I am, in my diversity of activities.
So many kinds of work to do in this home.
I am sent to them.
I speak the Word of God to them.
I teach them.
I pray with them for miracles.
Government: administration.
I have to speak their language, when they don't speak mine.
I need interpretation when they say unintelligible things.
Have you ever conversed with a toddler?
Word of wisdom? Yes.
Word of knowledge? Please, Lord, speak.
Faith.
How many times have I continued on
in teaching and discipline that seemed to fall on deaf ears?
I doctor them, even as I pray for them.
I evangelize them.
I work hard to equip them,
whether it's teaching them to read so they can edify themselves with God's love,
or teaching them to cook, so they can feed themselves and others.
I've washed some of them for years,
but most wash themselves now -- sometimes without even being asked anymore.
I want them to come to the unity of the faith
and the knowledge of the Son of God.
Strangely, in teaching them, I learn and grow, too.
And they are learning to do their share.
Of laundry, of study, and of worship.
I minister to them, and I exhort them.
I give to them, and I want to do it with liberality.
With simplicity. Not with an ulterior motive.
I lead them, and want to do it with sincerity.
And where does anyone get so many opportunities to show mercy?
Oh, Lord, help me to be cheerful in it.
For helps?
Here, at home, let me use these gifts
that differ according to the grace that is given to us.
They're all needed for the equipping of these saints.
