We plan and experience an event, yet we often forget the importance of follow-up and reflection. John Dewey once said, "We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience."
We can plan reflection time during morning prayers or afternoon visits with a counselor.
Reflection may catch us off guard as well, whenever an item or a conversation resurfaces a memory. Rather than rushing to the next activity or pushing past the memory, pause and reflect on the former experience for growth and understanding.
The word Selah appears nearly seventy times in scripture with the intention not to be spoken but to be experienced. The word Selah means to pause and to reflect on the goodness of our God before moving forward in life.
"Let God grant us grace and bless us; let God make his face shine on us, Selah" Psalm 67:1
This week, let us pause and reflect on the seven steps of mission. This two minute video captures highlight clips of the mission stories spoken from Waynesboro to the Caribbeans.
Seven Simple Steps to Match Mission with Joy
STEP #1
Define Mission
STEP #2
Mission at Work
Jerry Kestler, Busy Bee Power Washing
"Busy Bee Power Washing has become very much like a ministry because very seldom a day goes by that I do not get to talk to somebody about the Lord."
Step #3
Mission with Family
Lisa Marcelina, from
Trinidad and Tobago
Read Blog Post, Create Moments of Joy Listen to Lisa's Story on YouTube (11 min.)
"We have to make sure to care for our vulnerable society, not just children, but the elderly and those with disabilities. We have to take care of them, that is something we are mandated to do by the Lord."
Step #4 Mission at Church
Harriet Thompson, Faith in Action Camp
"Our children have been the best examples in my walk of faith of what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Christ."
Step #5 Mission on a Trip
Rev. Minh Phune Towner, Vietnamese Refugee
"My faith journey began with many questions to God and no answers because nothing made sense to me as I witnessed what was happening around me. I witnessed my dad and my younger siblings killed at gun point. I watched my parent’s home engulfed by the fire and I grew up where the gun fire was the only sound, I could recall as part of my childhood. There was abuse and torture and cruelty. Often, I asked 'Where was God?' "
Step #6
Mission as a Volunteer
Justina Hodgson, Violinist
Read Blog Post, Gifts of Music and Time, A Woven Thread through the Generations
Listen to Justina's Story on YouTube (7 min.)
"For me, I will always treasure those memories of my mom encouraging me to volunteer my time. She would always tell me that I had this gift, this talent to offer people music."
Step #7
Mission with Joy
Francine Johnson, Cake Ministry
Read Blog Post, Providing Comfort and Spreading Joy with a Cake Ministry Listen to Francine's Story on YouTube (4 min.)
"God is a God of comfort. He likes to comfort His children when things are wrong or when somebody passes. He does not comfort for us to just keep it. He comforts us so that we can be comforters, so that we can pass that comfort along to another person."
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