This weekend I heard an amazing couple share about their past 14 year journey as missionaries in Tanzania.

And I was impressed.  Awed, even at the impact of their lives.

But after that I felt lame.

I am not changing the world in Tanzania.

I am changing diapers. . . lots of them.  And while some of them are note-worthy, they are not life-altering.

Okay, I confess, a few have been.

But after Sunday morning, I had to remind myself that I’m not the lame-wad I feel like right now.

I am right where God has me.

And for some of us, our assignment in this life might not look all that exciting.  It might just look alot like normal life.

Waking up.

Getting dressed.

Going to work.

Carrying joy in your heart.

Speaking life.

Caring about your co-workers. . .even the crabby ones.

It all seems so everyday.

So practical.

Sigh.

Practical. Love.

The two words seem so anti-each other.

But God is ever practical, which is sometime easy to forget in midst of the world we live in.

Even as I type this, I’ve got a brother-in-law that is spending his evening playing video games with his nephew (ie, my son). . . and that is practical love.  Not to mention rad fun. . .on a school night.

I’m such a cool mom.

Such a crucial part of our lives.  Learning to love practically.

Learning how to pick out the right clothes to wear.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it

Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)

 

This is the basic wardrobe for us.

Pretty practical stuff.

Like your basic white t-shirt and pair of jeans.

So wherever you are tonight, your impact is changing the world.  I know, sometimes, it doesn’t always feel like it.  Keep going, you’ll see the evidence of it soon.

Dressed in compassion, kindness, humbleness, strength, focus, consistency, forgiveness, and love, you can’t not change the world.  Whether it’s Tanzania or Minnesota or anywhere in between.  Your very existence impacts the lives of those around you.

So, keep getting dressed every morning . . . for the sake of humanity.  They’ll thank you for it.