Why I Did So Much Volunteering

Last year I began volunteering in three local schools through one on one tutoring/mentoring opportunities that would take about two-hours Monday through Friday.  While these did give a few opportunities to share the Gospel, most of the time it revolved around education instead of Gospel centered ministry.

So while I loved working with children I walked away from the tutoring ministry because it didn’t give opportunities to share the Gospel.  At the time  I couldn’t help but be confused about why God led me to do that much volunteering in the first place.

This morning I found out why

Down the street from my house is a small school for children, partway down a hill from there is a childrens daycare center, and the bottom of that hill is a HUGE school filled with young children.  And they are all desparate for people who can help with tutoring.

As I walked by the big school this morning and watched around 100 children play in the large courtyard (we had lost power so it become playtime) the Lord reminded me that His plan is absolutely perfect. 

All of those hours tutoring children with little spiritual fruit just may be preparation for today

1. When two schools (and another two hills over) less than a five minutes walk from my house need tutors
2. Which allows me to not only tutor children but also connect with them since they walk by my house each day
3. And tell them Bible stories on my porch in the afternoons
4. And pick them up every Sunday in a van so they can come to Tabernacle Baptist Church (which they also walk by every day)

In other words the teaching here won’t be disconnected from ministry since I won’t be coming to the school as “Mr. John” but “Pastor John” and a representative of  a Church in the area.  The good news is my hours of volunteering as “Mr. John” have taught lessons and laid the groundwork so that I can have a strong ministry as Pastor John in the school system.

We all have those moments when we wonder why God has taken us down a particular road.  He doesn’t always give us an answer to our questions right away, but eventually the Lord will.  And in that moment everything will make perfect sense.