Consistently Unconsistent

January 16th, 2024

Stepping into the second week of ministry here in South Africa, I’ve been able to do a lot of reflection about why I’m here and why really ministry matters, and how I don’t HAVE to do ministry, but rather I GET to do ministry. The last part is something that our coaches said at our first debrief back in Georgia, and it’s been engrained into my brain ever since.

See, life can become like a rhythm sometimes, and after awhile, that rhythm just fades off into existence, and we just lose our vision, and in turn, our rhythm.

Well, my team has had the wonderful opportunity to bless many different people through our many different ministries in our time overseas. In fact we are the only team who has not had a consistent ministry in our whole time, and while we have enjoyed it, it’s easy to lose your vision of ministry when you just jump around and aren’t able to really build a solid relationship.

I was talking to my dad last night, and he said, you’ve had a consistently unconsistent ministry this whole time. And then it hit me. Of course I’ve realized this before, but it really soaked in last night.

God is a consistently unconsistent Father, and He doesn’t want us to fall into a rhythm of life we don’t enjoy, but rather be able to savor the tasteful existence we have while on this earth.

So, while I’ve enjoyed ministry more than words can express, God has a way of comforting us deeply when we start to fall into more of a senseless drill, rather than the life He wants us to live to the fullest while serving Him unconditionally.

This really comforted me when we got news on Sunday night that we would be getting a consistent ministry until the end of February, but being told late Monday night (because my team had kitchen duty yesterday and was supposed to start Tuesday), that we would be cleaning out a house. Because God, out of His incomprehensible love, wants to break down the walls of our expectations. He wants us to learn even deeper that life might throw us a curveball, but because He is always holding something bigger and better around the corner, we don’t even have to worry about holding onto expectations, and need to lay all of our worries down at His feet.

And you know what, today’s ministry was so good. Getting in the van this morning, it was discovered that the people who run the ministry we are starting on Thursday, which is called Beats and Books, (an organization that seeks to help children dive into a deeper relationship with the Lord and attain a better knowledge of how to worship Him by learning to read and taking music lessons), were actually the people who’s home we get to help clean.

The Lord used today to allow us to know the people we are going to work with for almost 2 months on a more personal level, to know their hearts behind why they started this ministry, and to be able to serve them well as friends. Thanks God.

We go back tomorrow to help more at the new house they are moving into which is so exciting that we get to be apart of this process! Then, on Thursday, we will hopefully start our actual ministry. Please be praying for this couple we are helping that the Lord would just continue to move through them and their family in bold ways, and they would never lose their burning desire to serve God with every aspect of their lives!

Blessings in Christ,

Gracie Yoder