Called to Care

I was twelve years old when I first felt called into ministry as a Salvation Army officer. Three months later, 9/11 happened. All I wanted to do in the following weeks was to find some way to go to New York and do something to make everything better.

When my parents split up and eventually divorced, I felt the need to be strong for my family. I just wanted to do whatever I could to make everything better.

Through the years, I have seen people hurting in very minor and very major circumstances. I've been serving as an officer for almost ten months now, and I've learned something very important. I can't make everything better. But the drive to do so hasn't left me yet.

Sometimes it's frustrating knowing how much I want to fix all the problems around me, knowing that I really can't. Sometimes I want to call God out on it. "Why would you give me a desire for something I can't fulfill?"

But then I remember, I'm not called to make everything better. Hard times are inevitable in this life, and getting through one doesn't exclude us from having to go through the next one. As long as there is sin in the world, it won't be all better.

Knowing that, I find my calling is to something far more important than that. I'm called to care. I can't remove your illness, but I can stay at the hospital with you. I can't fix your relationships, but I can certainly be a friend through the strife. I can't do your work for you, but I can be a co-laborer until the work is done.

I find the hard times in life far more edifying to go through when someone makes it a priority to go through them with me. My drive to fix it all translates nicely into a passion for compassion. I can't make it all better, friends, but believe me in this:

I care.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 2, 2014 at 11:57 PM

    NEVER lose your capacity to care, Son! Too many Christians - officers included - already have, and precious souls are damaged or lost as a result. I thank God for your compassionate heart.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MartinApril 4, 2014 at 12:34 PM

    Well said!

    ReplyDelete

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