The Mission House

Library of Congress: Member of congregation during the sermon at First Wesleyan Methodist Church, Washington, D.C., 1943

A Wise Old Mother thought of her house as a mission. She craved the idea of being a missionary for the Lord. So she set about, making preparations.

First, she got rid of most of her worldly goods. She did not want to be overly attached to them, or tied - down by caring for them. She sold what she could, just like the Immigrants sold their household items to pay for their trip to a new land. Well, perhaps this mother took the money to pay off a few little debts, or maybe she gave it to charity.

Second, She organized her daily duties. She wanted to have a list of responsibilities. It was a like a job description for running the mission. These are some of the items on her list:

Morning tasks-
1. Chapel. (This consisted of Bible reading, prayer and the signing of hymns)
2. Prepare breakfast.
3. Clean kitchen.
4. Tidy parlour.
5. Handle correspondence and administrative duties.

Afternoon tasks -
1. Prepare Lunch.
2. Clean kitchen.
3. Do the household laundry.
4. Prayer and Rest.

Evening tasks -
1. Prepare Dinner.
2. Clean kitchen.
3. Chapel (This consisted of Bible reading, prayer and hymns.)

In the midst of all her daily work, she had to greet and welcome guests. She was to work right alongside them. Some of her guests found great delight in the daily labors of the mission house. They were able to talk with her, pray with her, and enjoy a bit of respite from the world.

She also had boarders to care for. These were of all ages, from babies to adults. She had full charge of their care and was quite busy with all their concerns and needs. She found this to be exhausting, but greatly rewarding. She was honored with the "burden," and felt privileged to have them staying with her.

At other times of the day, she would be called away on a mission errand. She was to dress accordingly, knowing she represented the mission house. She had to be an ambassador of that important work and had to be pleasant to all she met. She had grace and dignity and an incredibly strong spirit.

Sometimes, she would walk the grounds of the mission house and enjoy some peaceful quiet, alone with the Lord.  This made up for when her time with the Lord was an almost never-ending conversation with the Master of the Mission house - These were prayers and thanksgivings and praises that could not be uttered because of the overflowing joy in her heart.

Last of all, she worked through weariness and became stronger. She worked even when no visible results came from her efforts. She worked and worked and worked, at the Mission House, and made it a shining example of a resting place for weary souls.

But the secret to her motivation, was one quiet morning, as she read this dear quote from a group of "real" missionaries, as they struggled to do God's work in foreign lands:

"O Lord," they had prayed, "Send revival. . and let it start in me."



Blessings
Mrs. White


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* This post can be found in my book, "For the Love of Christian Homemaking."*  Paperback, 274 pages.













From the Archives -


The Joy of - Simple Days at Home.

Help for when you feel like  - Neglecting the Housework.

Mothers and Homemakers, Let us not be - The Last Witness of An Era.

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