Serve Her. Serve Them

I was 19 years old when I heard it loud and clear.

To be honest, it startled me.

I was a relatively new Christian, now serving on the worship team using the only talent I was aware of at the time. I had been singing since I was 5 years old so naturally, I just decided to join the worship team and give it a go. I loved it. I loved singing and performing. Still do. But I am grateful God opened up the opportunity for me to serve Him and His church in this capacity while I was so new to following Him. I thought for sure that my dreams of singing and performing were naturally just going to change from the Hollywood platform to the church platform. And I was becoming okay with that idea.

So while I was driving down the freeway on my way to midweek service, I was shocked to hear the words: “Serve her. Serve the women.”

Come again, God?

But there was no mistaking because after I heard it, I envisioned something so incredible in my mind. My heart started beating rapidly. I could literally see a sea of women, smiling, worshiping, hands raised as they were poured into and served, prayed over and encouraged and the gospel was shared over and over again.

And then they went out and served her too.

That was the vision and the stirring that God put on my heart so many years ago as a young girl who hadn’t a clue about ministry (was not really interested in that life!), only came to know Jesus several months prior to that day, and who could only think of singing and performing as her gift and contribution to the Kingdom.

What could I possibly have to offer?

Over the next 19 years (holy cow!! 19 years as a Christian? I am literally tearing up thinking about it) God graciously moved and shifted me into spaces that would allow me to come to connect with women and encourage them and serve them. I had married a man who wanted to be a pastor and serve the local church. Yet another shock to this girl who was pretty sure she had told God that she would not marry a Pastor! I mean, He never agreed to my arrangement but still. Ha!

But with that, I was thrown into a space where I had to connect with people regularly. Engage, ask questions, encourage. During this time, I became a mommy at the age of 24 and took up writing by creating my very first blog and documenting faith and motherhood and life in ministry.

God also encouraged me to join small groups and even lead a few. I would co-lead with my husband and connect with the wives and I would work really hard to get to know them deeply and encourage them to move forward in whatever God was spurring in their heart.

I continued to write, had a business that was women-empowered and encouraged women to love their bodies and serve one another in health and love their families and Jesus.

Isn’t it funny though, that the whole time though, I didn’t think that all those things I did was part of God’s initial call to me? I kept picturing something bigger and that it would happen eventually, not realizing that the work I was doing, the stories I was writing, the women I was getting to know was part of that call I heard 19 years ago.

Tonight I sit here by myself. The kids are with their daddy this weekend. Everything is so up in the air with our lives, our home and whatever else.

But I am still very clear on what God has called me to. How will He use this woman who feels like a hot mess 90% of the time and whose heart is broken for herself, for her husband and for her kids? I don’t really know. But I am confident that He will. I need a little help with my unbelief sometimes. But He will. My circumstances do not dictate my obedience to God telling me to go and serve His daughters.

My encouragement to you tonight is this. I have no idea if you heard something so incredibly real when you were a young girl. Maybe something was impressed on your heart just recently. Maybe you haven't a clue what you are doing. That is okay. You have the gospel? Good. You know the good news? Fantastic? That is enough, sister friend.

What I am extremely grateful for is that God chooses to use us. I have to remind myself daily that He does not have to. He did not have to choose to send His one and only Son to die for our sins. He didn’t have to put this grand, glorious and gracious plan of redemption in place.

And yet here we are. He loves us. He calls us to Himself. He gave us His holy spirit and it spurs us on to witness, love, empower, pray and move mountains and tell people about His Son. Y’all. That is wild. You don’t need to have an experience like mine, and chances are you will not, in order to recognize God’s calling on your life. And by calling I mean, the great commission. The for sure calling we all have when we proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

We are to go and make disciples of all nations. So maybe for now, that is simply in your homes with your family. Or maybe you have the opportunity to utilize a big platform. Whatever it is. Go forth and serve her. Serve His daughters. And then encourage them to go and do the same.

Tiff