I am a much better blabber than blogger, but when I was asked if I was interested in writing a guest blog for Planting Roots I absolutely had to say yes!
You see, I had just asked the Lord, “Would You make me better at what You’ve called me to do?”
Let me explain a bit. My husband is a retired Marine, and we have three sons who are active duty military–one in the Air Force, one in the Marine Corps, and one in the Army. (We have a daughter also and we thought it would be cool if she went in the Navy or Coast Guard, but she refused to cooperate.)
After working for 15 years at our church in the Quantico, VA area, God made it clear that He had uniquely wired me for military ministry and that I was to quit my paying job and follow His direction.
I love new seasons, but this one was a bit sketchy as I wasn’t sure what “military ministry” even involved.
Recently, I believe God has simplified this calling for me. He’s whispered to me:
Love Me, love others (great commandment). Show it by loving My Word so much that it just oozes out of you. It’s not forced or formal, it’s just part of you. Love others by sincerely desiring to see them saved and living freely and abundantly. Then you will make disciples wherever you go (great commission).
That’s it. That’s what He’s called me to do. That’s what He’s called all of us to do.
In a summer study a group of us military wives are doing, Beth Moore challenged us to realize, “We are mighty servants of God turned loose on this globe in the great name of Jesus.” The idea is, we have been entrusted with the gospel and gifted to impart it to others.
The past couple weeks we’ve looked at the fact that He saved us for a reason and it’s not just to go to heaven.
He has gifted us with the Holy Spirit, and spiritual gifts, and then personality and intelligence, and experiences (good and bad), and teachings and talents. All of that rolled together shapes us and enables us to uniquely interact with others on this planet who need to know Him.
We did an icebreaker in our group that highlighted to me the global nature of meeting with military related women. The question was, “What were you like in high school?”
One gal grew up in South Africa and staged a “sit down” in the principal’s office against a racist teacher. One gal was from Puerto Rico but moved to Brooklyn in her teens where she suffered intense prejudice. Another was the valedictorian, head cheerleader, Miss Popular on the outside, and lonely, scared, and confused on the inside because of a horrible family trauma.
There was a litany of stories about drug use, crazy partying, deceptive parents, another group of stories about youth group, obeying the rules, and achieving academic honors. These stories originated in Wisconsin and Alabama and Pennsylvania and Kentucky and California and Texas and many other states. We have retired wives, active duty wives, and one precious widow who started the study on the 3rd anniversary of her husband’s death in Afghanistan. All ages, all stages.
God showed me clearly that if each of these ladies “fans into flame” the deposit that God has made in her life (the gospel and the gifting to share it), whole areas of America and the world will be impacted. They won’t be able to keep from sharing the good news with friends and family who live all over.
And that doesn’t even take into account the fact that over half the ladies will move on in another year or so and be able to influence a whole new group of neighbors and coworkers!
Mighty servants of God, boldly ask Him to ramp up our effectiveness, that we all might make a difference in this world!
It takes courage; it takes deciding to be all in. But what could be the results? His love and power pouring out of us, changing lives.
What an honor to live and minister among women associated with the military. If it entails sitting down and disciplining myself to write instead of just blabbing about the latest thing the Lord has shown me, then so be it.
Thanks for the opportunity, Planting Roots, and thanks to all of you readers for giving some of your precious time to read this!
Website: katiehawkins.net
