Day 12 | Isabelle’s story

Reflection

You may be familiar with the scene. It’s a Wednesday night. More people than is practically comfortable are crammed into a front room to read the Bible, pray, and share some of their lives with each other. You’ve got it. It’s a church small group.

People are sharing stories of their frontlines, the places where they’re out in the world, invited to be a fruitful disciple of Jesus: the office, the school playground, the staff room, the bus, the tennis club. Isabelle is sitting uneasily. She can’t think of her frontline. When it gets to her, she doesn’t know what to say.

Other members of the group ask her what she does during her week. She explains how she looks after her home, gets involved with a few different things at church, and sees her grandchildren. Oh, and her eldest granddaughter (who’s 23) comes around for Sunday lunch every week and asks all about church and what that week’s sermon was about.

Isabelle, through little fault of her own, didn’t see how her purpose as a grandmother connected with whatever she thought God’s mission was. She was just serving up roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, having a conversation, and being a Gran.

But through those conversations, Isabelle explained Scripture, teaching, and church life. She wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, but even if she didn’t know it, she was being faithful to God and what he had in store for her – to be a Gran. And serving really good roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.

Father, help us to see how what we already do with our family, whether that’s loads or some or nothing at all, fits in with our purpose to remain faithful to you and all that you’re doing through us. Amen.