For Glory & Beauty

Today we have a very special guest sharing with us today, and someone very dear to me, my cousin, Derekka. I knew that Derekka definitely needed to share this month as we are on the topic of "A Road to Somewhere." Watching her life, I have been so amazed and thrilled to see how she is impacting lives and sharing Christ with people, right where she is. They may not realize at first she is sharing Christ, but soon they realize the light and the love coming from Derekka's words and actions are not humanly obtained. They know there is something more... something different in her life.

Living a misional life. That is what we are all called to do.

No, we aren't all called to live in another country, or reach other people groups. But we can all live lives that are reaching people for Christ day in and day out, regardless of where we are or what we do... regardless of what road we are on. So, I am excited to introduce you to my cousin, Derekka, as she tells you a little bit about how she is living a missional life in a hospital.

I can remember being a young girl, sitting in church, listening to missionaries at least every couple months growing up. I was always intrigued by their stories and experiences. I remember doing fundraisers for missions such as BGMC (giving kids the opportunity to give to missions) and Speed the Light (a missions effort for teenagers), both affiliated with The Assemblies of God. As a young girl, I never felt that I had a "missionary" in my family. I had pastors, but no one had been a "missionary."  I have a huge heart for people and have always been impacted listening to any missionary speak about the people groups they ministered to. I always thought that I would play that role of doing missions. However, where my life is now, does not exactly look the way I envisioned it would as a young girl.

Missions has become a lifestyle for me. I believe I have developed an entirely different point of view. And, my thought of not having a "missionary" in my family, well, I realized I could not be more incorrect. Missions is what we are all called to do. I always envisioned it in the African Villages and orphanages (and still would not mind to make that happen someday). But as an adult, missions is my day to day life. We are called to live like Jesus. Jesus ministered through each day he was alive. Jesus loved people better than any of us possibly could dream of doing. Jesus did not always have to use his words, but His actions led people to the truth, and ultimately drew them closer to the Father.

This is where I feel my mission field is at this point in my life. I am a nurse in an Emergency Department. I feel that God is definitely using the "heart for people" in the best way possible. I see hurting people, physically and emotionally, each day. I feel that Jesus has placed me here at my job, to love people as He would. I know I never could possibly be perfect, as He is, but I strive to shed light on everyone I encounter. 

I have been to Peru on a designated Medical Mission Trip. This was a great opportunity to share with a culture that is completely different from my own. I was able to pray with each person I met within the clinic. It was amazing to me at the time how accepting people were of your prayers. Americans would probably deny your request to pray over them, at least 50% of the time. Peruvians accepted it, 100% of the time. It was amazing to give the community in Pucallpa something they could not get for themselves. We were blessed with the supplies and finances to go into these villages and give medications that were not typically accessible. We were blessing them because God had blessed us.

This has been a scripture that I have held in my heart since beginning my career in the medical field:

Although you have demands in your workplace, the Lord is the one who is your Overseer. I have attempted to make this my mission.  That whatever I am facing in the workplace, I need to honor the Lord in my work. I believe this is a form of doing missions. Showing Jesus through your actions and words outside the walls of the church.

Friends, I would encourage you to live like Jesus. It sounds so simple, but I think it is the most accurate way to live a missional life. We are all called to reach the lost. Not all of us are called to be pastors or teachers within the walls of a church building. But we, as Christians, are the church. We are God’s children. We are Christ’s Bride. We must glorify Him wherever we are planted. To sum this all up in one sentence, I would say, showing God’s love to the world is ultimately what I believe missions is about!

THANKS AGAIN FOR SHARING DEREKKA! XOXO