5 Ways to Serve Even When Serving Seems Impossible

It’s amazing to me when my favorite mom blogger at We Are THAT Family stays focused and blogs consistently during the summer months. My Feedly notifications are proof that she’s kepping up the pace without missing a beat.

I’m not one of those moms. Don’t take me wrong, I want to be one of those moms, but for some reason when June rolls around the only thing I can balance is lazy days, daily runs to Chick-Fil-A for diet frosted lemonade, summer camp, old fashioned naps, and….a mission trip to Haiti.

Somehow in the middle of June (FYI not the best time to visit Haiti due to extreme sun exposure and sweating.) I had the honor of leading 10 Storytellers for a week to Port-au-Prince and served with some incredible ministries I can’t wait to introduce you to!

This was the first mission trip I’ve led since being back home from the mission field. It’s my first love. I love mobilizing a team together to love big globally. I want to live radically. I want you to live radically.

In Bianca Juarez Olfhoff’s blog, she challenges us to live life out loud.

Bianca shares, “I refuse to believe that our generation of women want to be categorized as average. We have an opportunity to think upon and fight for what is good, true, and right (Phil. 4:6). In light of God’s command in Isaiah 58:6, we are to make loose the cords of injustice  and set the oppressed free. In the original Hebrew text, Isaiah 58 is a list of imperatives—go and do. In short, you’re not to just think about doing justice, you are to GO and DO justice.”

Shortly after returning from Haiti, I sat with my good friend at Starbucks for an iced coffee. Sipping my iced drink, sitting in a cool cafe, driving with frigid air pumping in my van, actually made me feel guilty. I shared this with my friend. We both agreed we couldn’t imagine enduring the hardships that most of the world endures during any season. All you have to do is turn on the news and watch some catastrophe happening globally and realize living in America doesn’t really feel radical.

It’s the strangest feeling to spend the week in Haiti with a people group that don’t have air conditioner or comforts of any kind to keep cool in the sweltering heat and come home to my life. Their normal is completely opposite of my normal.

We spent the day at an orphanage that was so poor, they didn’t even have a well or running water for all 30+ kids living there. How in the world did the nannies tend to the laundry or bathing or cooking without any source of water? I found out that because they didn’t pay their rent for the entire year, the landlord had turned off the water. There were piles and piles of dirty clothes in the corner, with no way of washing them. I felt totally helpless. My first thought was wishing there was a laundromat open that we could pay for the express 24 hour service.

My friend had never been to Haiti, but she asked me honestly, “How can we serve when serving seems impossible?” I’ve thought about her comment a lot since being home and enjoying a wonderful, lazy summer with my family. It’s true, how can we serve people groups that are suffering so greatly that it seems impossible.

It’s easy to look around our big, wide world and think things look really bad, so how can I really make a difference?

Is it possible to change the world? Honestly, no, it’s totally, completely impossible to change our broken world. But anything is possible in the name of love. And, God is love. God will take ALL the impossibles and in His sovereignty equip us with the tools to make a difference and change the world. He uses our gifts, talents, and passions for His glory. In turn, we can help equip the next generation of world changers. This kind of love takes action. GO and DO!

Have you ever found yourself asking these questions about serving?

I’m a mom and don’t feel comfortable leaving the country to serve? What can I do?

I’m a 21-year-old college student that’s working 2 jobs to stay afloat, but I want to change the world. What can I do?

I can barely make ends meet. My husband and I work, but live paycheck to paycheck. We feel called to serve together. What can I do?

My kids are grown and out of the house. I’m officially an empty nester, but want to serve well with significance. What can I do?

I have 23 grandkids, but I want to spend the rest of my life serving. I’m 75 years old, is there still something I can do?

Today, as we near the end of summer and I’m looking at the piles of laundry from our week road trip to Colorado, I have to stop and wonder what my life would look like living in Haiti without any source of water with the same ferocity as any mother living in this world who wants to take care of her family. It’s my duty as a mother, a daughter of Christ, and lover of people to GO and LOVE BIG.

5 Ways to Serve Even When Serving Seems Impossible:

• Did you know moms in Haiti are making mud cookies for their starving children to survive? Read about it here and join Fair Trade Friday.
• Did you know Bulgaria has become one of the largest targets for labor and sex trafficking? Read Elena’s story here and how you can help too.
• Did you know your old denim changes kids’ lives in Uganda? Read how you can host a Sole Hope shoe cutting party here.
• Did you know that specialty chewing gum is changing the world? Read about Project 7’s mission here.
• Did you know that one sixth of the world’s population goes to bed hungry? Read how Outside the Bowl is feeding thousands globally (I served with OTB in Haiti!!!)

Ask God to provide opportunities for you to serve even when serving seems impossible. God will use you right where you are.

What’s new on the blog? My BRAND NEW podcast My Crazy Cast is coming soon!!!!!!!! Wait till you hear who my first 5 guests are that I’ve recorded!! They will blow you away (I’m still blown away just thinking about it now) Stay tuned…I’ll need your help on launching day!