How a sentence I read in a Children’s book multiplied my ministry

A few years ago I helped start a church in a small interior mountain town in Puerto Rico. I was part of a team that was led by a senior missionary and we also had some other people working beside us as part-time partners. One team member retired and others I worked with left the field until I was left with the sole responsibility of the work in my hands.

This was not part of my plan, but since I was the last missionary standing and the work was not complete, I could not imagine abandoning it. I felt that to do evangelism and then not disciple the believers into a good church would be like having children and then not providing a home for them. So I stayed and kept trying to build a church home for them. I must confess that although I love the Lord and doing His work, I did feel let down by others and “stuck” with a small ministry in the country.

A while later I came across a parable kind of story written by George MacDonald. The story is about two spoiled girls who become victims of too much self-esteem and the great damage it caused. I was fascinated by it because “A Double Tale” by George MacDonald is exactly the opposite of what you might have been taught, even in Christian circles about self-esteem. Anyway I came across this paragraph. The next to the last sentence really caught my attention:

It really made me think. Instead of feeling sorry as if I was left in a corner while others ran off to play elsewhere, I should use this opportunity to do a great job and let my light shine brightly in this little corner of the world. My job became a joy to me and our little church, although still small, has turned out pastors and missionaries that are serving God all around the world. Our church is a very small lighthouse, but it is a marvel how far and brightly the light has shone from this humble work.

I am sure George MacDonald did not plan on helping us start churches across Latin America when he wrote this story over 100 years ago, but it helped that very thing come to pass. I guess you never know when the little things you do will make a difference in the world, if ever. But they do and they will. It happened to me. So cheer up and praise God and do your job well. It is worth doing.