On my birthday in July, my sweet husband brought me coffee in bed. That had been one of my requests, to have coffee in bed and sit together for the morning. Not long after taking my first couple of sips, my husband left for work and one of our twins started crying. I grabbed my coffee and began the process of changing my son and getting him fed. Then, I repeated the process for my daughter. As I fed them, I thought, “This is what my birthday is going to look like from here on out.”
Since a young age, I have been a person of celebration. Whether it was for myself or someone else, I wanted to be in the middle of it all! I was going to go to the party, the dinner, the coffee date. That heart of celebration poured over into how I serve at church as well. As a teenager, I NEVER missed out on any of the youth events. When I became an adult, I was called to continue ministry at the church. I was an intern in college, discipled students, led a college small group with my husband, and for three years worked alongside my husband as the youth ministers at our former church.
My role quickly shifted when we began adopting our babies. I now find myself at home most often. When I join the youth group, I am typically in the back holding our babies and observing.
“This is what my life is going to look like from here on out.”
I’ve asked God many times how I am to serve the body of Christ now that I’m a full-time mom. If I can’t be involved in church events like I was, how will he use me?
“Your view of ministry is very narrow,” that Still, Small, Voice whispered.
Serving the Church did not end when our babies came home. Serving transformed into taking care of and discipling these little ones. Changing diapers is serving the Church. Making bottles is serving the Church. Packing up the van and driving them to Sunday worship is serving the Church. My prayers are serving the Church. Because one day my son and daughter are going to grow up and, Lord willing, make professions of faith so that they can spread the Gospel and build God’s Kingdom. God has shown me that planting those seeds starts now, in the safety of our home.
To the moms reading this, planting seeds begins in your home. You are serving the Church when you are taking care of your children.
Doing ministry and discipleship have not ended for me, rather it has taken a new shape.
Meet the author!
Addi Suenram is married to Merritt Suenram, CRBC’s youth minister. Addi is passionate about using writing as an avenue to help Christians pursue God and go deeper in their faith. She can also use poetry to speak about the problem of pain and the hope of Jesus Christ.
She has been speaking at church events, both for youth groups and adults, for six years. She was the keynote speaker at the 2014 Relay for Life event. Addi has also spoken at two YMCA Livestrong programs for cancer survivors.