Caregiving – A Missional Mindset

A Missional Mindset

Isaiah 40:31 – They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

            Why should a missional mindset make a difference? Let me explain. When I first heard the call to be my mother’s guardian, I was crestfallen.  I felt like she had won again. But God showed me that since I belonged to Him, I was no longer a victim.  I was going to court, and they would give me the legal right and responsibility to do what was best for my mom.  Therefore, the one I was going to minister to—Mom—would no longer be making the decisions or defining parameters, God would, through the court, and, if I cooperated, through me.

Secondly the definition of a mission is two-fold:

1. an important assignment (in which you represent someone else)
2. a vocation or calling

            Remember the movie Mission Impossible? The agent’s vocation was to complete the assignment planned by his superior. It was the agent’s choice to accept an assignment. Once accepted, the mission was to complete the assignment, and it was an honor to do so.

            Becoming missional was all of this to me, but most importantly, it was a willing change of command. I no longer was under my abuser’s authority; therefore, I was no longer a victim, unless I chose to be. I did not.

            The missional mindset meant that I had a new commander. My new purpose was living each day and making each decision based on being an agent of God’s mission to the corner of the world where He placed me—one person at a time.

            Accepting God’s sovereignty in this situation took a lot of pressure off me. It helped me to shift words and actions that deeply wounded me in the past. Sometimes I had to repeat the surrender hourly.

            My surrender did not mean a vending-machine God was going to quickly resolve the multiplicity of things that were wrong with my past life or the present and future—namely the guardianship role. It did mean that God was the one with the plan, not me. God was the one with the power, not me. And gratefully, God was the one with the love and grace, because I certainly did not have either toward my charge, nor did I really feel she deserved honor or love, as she continually spoke and acted offensively. Spiritual exercise was sorely needed.

            My daily and weekly spiritual-strength/missional mindset routine consisted of three parts:

1. A morning devotion (commitment and instruction)
2. A focus verse
3. A specific day of fasting and prayer (I chose Mondays for Mom, which was easy to remember)

            Training by the Navigators (navigators.org) was instrumental. Their seven minutes with God devotional prayer guide and inductive study principles helped me not just read the scriptures, but to glean from them new knowledge about God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as the scriptures were instructing, disciplining, correcting, and training me (2 Timothy 3:16).

            I was just beginning one of the hardest things I would have to face in life, and I’d heard personal stories from life-long missionaries of fierce and obstinate battles that had only begun to change after fasting. Matthew 17:21 told of such an experience with the disciples, and how Jesus rebuked the ones who were not activating and exercising their faith. The story of Esther also impressed upon me that each of us is appointed to our circle of influence, beginning with our family. It made me wonder if similarly, I was born into this family for God to work through for just this point in time.

            Thinking such thoughts during such a time of darkness was incredibly uplifting! Those teachings developed the missional thoughts and goals in my heart and mind and gave me hope and a purpose.