As the first part of our trip to Kenya comes to an end, we are getting ready to move from our time of mission into our time as tourists. We will see more of Kenya over the next few days, experience new things, and enjoy the beauty of this amazing country, but I can't help but think that although the mission portion of our trip is over, the mission is not.
Mission is not something we do only when we travel to another country. Mission is something we are called to do every single day, wherever we are.
Sometimes we make mission seem like it has to be something big. We have to travel somewhere, serve someone, build something, or do something that feels important. But maybe mission can be much simpler than that.
Maybe mission is saying hello to someone who looks like they are having a difficult day. Maybe it is offering a smile to a stranger.
Maybe it is taking a moment to listen to someone who needs to be heard. Maybe it is helping someone who is struggling, offering encouragement, or simply letting someone know that they are not alone.
You never know what someone else is carrying.That person you smile at in the grocery store may have been having the worst day of their life. The person you say hello to may feel invisible. The person sitting alone may simply need someone to notice them.
We don't always get to know what our small acts of kindness mean to someone else. And that's okay. We don't do them because we expect something in return. We do them because we are called to love.
Our time in Nairobi has reminded me that mission isn't just about where we go. Mission is about how we live.
So even though our official mission trip is coming to an end, I don't want the mission to end as we spebd a few days on safari and when we get on the airplane and fly home. I want to take it with me.
I want to remember the people we met, the stories we heard, the prayers we shared, the meals we ate together, and the smiles we exchanged. And I want to remember that I don't have to travel thousands of miles to be on a mission.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple “Hi.” Sometimes all it takes is a smile. And you never know who might have needed that smile.
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