servant leadership - in admiration of my parents

 “Your life is not your own – You were bought with a price!” These are the words my father said to me as a baby. For as long as I can remember, my parents have instilled in me the importance of living with purpose beyond myself, just as Jesus Himself did on earth. They have shown me that following Jesus means giving generously and sacrificially in service to others. As missionaries in Amsterdam, they did this by learning the Dutch language and sharing their lives with the people they’d come to reach with the Gospel. 

Although my parents eventually transitioned off the mission field, they haven’t stopped being involved in the missional heart of God, serving in the spheres of culture as He leads, including marketplace, government, and education, recognizing it’s about faithfulness to Him and His call. Their continued engagement in missions included the generous partnership with missionaries in both prayer and finances. And, my dad just finished serving his tenth year as the Chairman of the All Nations KC Hub Board of Directors. Although his commitment to the ANKC board was not supposed to be for this long, my dad prayerfully agreed to continue serving as the board chair to ensure a smooth transition for new leadership. 

My mother has modeled her servant heart through her radical obedience to Christ and through putting our family’s needs before her own. She grew up in Mexico, the youngest of 15 children. She was the only one of her siblings who married someone from a different culture (my father being from the US) and left her home continent to become a missionary in Europe. Now that I’m an adult, I’m finally beginning to realize all that my mom sacrificed through being obedient to the Lord’s call on her life – material possessions, understanding the local language, having her family geographically close (no FaceTime in the 1980’s!). She gave birth to all three of her children in that foreign land without the advantage of having her mother or older sisters nearby. She consistently encouraged my father to follow the Lord’s calling for our family. She has been one of the most selfless women that I know – always putting others before herself, especially our family. And she has done this all willingly and joyfully!

By the very nature of focusing on others, we become servants. This is counter-cultural in today’s self-oriented society that thrives on individualism and instant gratification. But Jesus showed us a different way. In His revolutionary Kingdom, the last are first and the Master washes His servants’ feet. He never hesitated to meet the needs of those who stopped Him in the streets. He calls us to do the same. I’m so grateful that my parents have shown me how beautiful servant leadership can look in the context of family and missions.