Doing the dishes

A friend recently wrote bemoaning her lack of ministry for God. She is older, has problems getting around and is losing her eyesight. She hasn’t been able to do as much as she used to in her church. She has been feeling rather useless. Yet one afternoon while washing dishes, enjoying a recent, rare snowfall, God spoke to her heart and she realized that her current call is…. to wash the dishes. You see her husband is not a Christian and in general has wanted little to do with the church despite their many years of marriage. Like most people they saw a great deal of their nest egg evaporate in the last couple of years. He has been very fearful, putting more trust in man than God. She prays daily for her husband’s salvation. She agonizes over it. Right now more than anything else in the world, she wants the salvation of her husband. She realizes that time is of the essence. She has come to realize that her ministry, her call at this time is to continue to be a faithful witness to her husband. Not very glamorous is it and not what she was expecting at this time in her life either.

Have you ever looked into the mirror or looked around at work or home and wondered, “How on earth did I end up in this situation at this time in my life?” or “This certainly isn’t how I pictured what my life would look at this time in my life.” Of course the choices that we make, both good and bad, are usually the largest influences on the course of our lives. However, sometimes people and events beyond our control shape our lives and therefore our call.

Esther’s life and call were definitely shaped by events beyond her control. Her people were taken captive years before she was born. She was an orphan raised by her cousin. She lived in a country hostile to her people. She was a great beauty, which got her noticed by the wrong people. Who thinks a devout Jewish girl would go willingly to the pagan King’s palace on the off chance she might end up as Queen when in reality she was more than likely to end up as just one of the girls in the Harem? While God is not mentioned by name in the book of Esther, His fingerprints are all over the book and all over Esther’s life. She does end up being Queen of all Persia. Do you ever think she wondered-why? Why am I here in this place the palace? Do you think she ever thought- I never pictured myself as queen of a pagan nation! Her life intersects with her call rather dramatically. A decree goes out to kill all the Jews. Her cousin Mordecai tells her the bad news. He asks her to intercede. She stalls. Mordecai reminds her that deliverance can come from another direction if need be but her position will not protect her and she will die with all the other Jews. He remarks, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Her call was to save her people at great personal risk. Saving a people is much more glamorous than doing the dishes but is it any more important than doing the dishes?

Have you ever looked around at other people in church and thought, “That person is so smart”, “Wow that person is so gifted”, “I wish God had called me to do something that amazing”. Paul told the Corinthians that there were different gifts but the same Spirit, different services but the same Lord. The human body he noted is made up of different parts, each part performing a different function, all parts equally needed and all contributing equally to the health and function of the body. No one part having more honor than another part. So too in the church he says, our gifts, talents, abilities and calls combine to make up the whole of the church with none being more special or more important than another. Each contributes to the health and function of the church. God blesses believers with a unique talent, ability, gift or call and then commands the believer to use them for His service, to further His Kingdom and to help make us one in Christ. So sometimes washing the dishes is a very important job.