“You Go Too
into My Vineyard!”
The call of the Lord Jesus "You too go into my
vineyard" is addressed to everyone: lay people are personally called
by the Lord from whom they receive a mission on behalf of the Church
and the world.
~John Paul II,
Apostolic Exhortation to the Laity,
1988
Editor’s
Note: Pope John Paul said we each receive a mission, a call from the
Lord to work in His vineyard. What is your mission? Have you found
your place in God’s vineyard? It might be helping the poor in some
exotic land across the ocean or fulfilling some need in your own
backyard. The important question to consider is, “Are you answering
the call?”
In the following message, Joyce seems to suggest that
her way of answering God’s call is less than spectacular. But, look
at her life in light of Jesus’ words “Whatsoever you do…” Joyce is
ministering—to HIM.
Here is what she had to say:
The thought of going into the vineyard is an
overwhelming one.
I like to think that God’s mission for me is to take
care of my family, and there are times when that task is one I can
barely handle. I don’t think I am going anywhere near the vineyard
anytime soon. I am at the age and stage of life where I thought I
would be able to relax a little, read a book or sit on the porch in
the early morning sipping coffee. I have a friend who commented one
day, “Wasn’t it supposed to get easier by now?” You would think!
But that isn’t the reality
of what many of us face each day. I have one family
member who is seriously ill, one who has almost completely given up on
life and lives in a state of depression and a seven-year-old bundle of
energy who is the light of my life and the reason why I spend more
time at the swimming pool and park than I do on any profound mission.
I like to think that I’m doing what I was meant to do
and that God sends the vineyard to me so it can fit into my daily
schedule. I take an hour here and there each week to minister to some
outside of my immediate family and although it is a miniscule drop of
help in their lives, it is what I can do, what I can offer and
hopefully will qualify for my trip into the vineyard.
I’ve learned to be flexible in my life because nothing
is as I expected it to be. I am constantly being given a new
challenge to meet. I am so grateful God is flexible,
too.
~Joyce
In addition to her time in God’s vineyard in her home,
Joyce makes time in her daily routine to help us fold and label these
newsletters twice a year. She helps us turn a huge job into a simple
one. Thanks Joyce!
♥ |