Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Field and The Pole


Today is the annual event called "See You at the Pole." I can remember when it started while Johnny and I were first in student ministry forever ago. It's the day where students from all over the country gather at the flag pole at their school campus to pray for their school and their friends. My older son left early today to pick up a friend before he and his sister went to the flag pole at their high school to pray. (It started at 6:30, for goodness sakes!) My younger son asked his football coach yesterday if he could get out of before-school practice a little early so he could pray at his middle school. Tonight is "Saw You at the Pole" at "The Field." Students from different schools from all over our area will gather to listen to some music, eat some food, and talk about what happened at the pole today. The Field happens to be the name of our student ministry, or as our student pastor says, our student mission. I help out in the kitchen serving food to hungry teenagers on Wed. night. I love their enthusiasm. I love how they are so excited to see each other. I love to look out of the big serving window in the kitchen and to watch them talking and laughing and playing basketball and volleyball and throwing the football around. I love the sound of their voices singing praises to God. I love how they want to invite their friends to The Field. I love it that my kids always want to go to The Field -- I would venture to say it's one of their favorite places to be.
The pole is a place -- everyday it's there, in front of the building, holding up the symbol of our nation's freedom. Today, it was the symbol of something far greater. Just like The Field -- it's about a way of life -- living out your purpose every single day. It so reminds me of those living on the mission field. Talk about living out every single day with purpose. Sometimes they leave their families, their homes, their worldly possessions and go to far off places to make the name of Jesus famous. That's what The Pole is for and that's what The Field is for. It just so happens that our mission field is here, at home. And the fields are white unto harvest...
That I might live with purpose every single day...
Jeanette

1 comment:

Michelle Canton said...

Fabulous post! Oh, that I, too, would live with purpose every day. Love ya.